The cold snap finally killed off all the mosquitoes, but for how long?

A week of freezing temperatures finally convinced area mosquitoes to take a break, but how long will their hiatus last?

That all depends on the weather, particularly night time temperatures, said James Brock, supervisor of mosquito control for Horry County.

“We definitely needed the cold snap to help knock them down,” Brock said, explaining that the pests were still active until the New Year deep freeze settled over the Grand Strand.

During a recent inspection of a Bucksport area culvert, Brock said they were studying a photograph of it because something looked very odd. Turns out the pipe was lined with mosquitoes.

“They come up when it’s warmer in the afternoon and at night they find a place to survive the cold,” Brock said.

Thanks to Winter Storm Grayson, all of the larvae in area ponds won’t continue their life cycle and emerge until evening temperatures begin hovering again in the mid 50s, he explained.

As for how this cold and wet winter weather will affect the next mosquito population, Brock says it’s too early to tell.

“Until it warms up, it will be hard to know. But the longer that it stays colder, the better we fare in this tale by far,” Brock said.

“I would hope and like to think that any wet weather, any standing water we are having now, is not going to affect us 60 days down the road,” Brock said.

But, if the weather turns warm in the beginning of February with night temperatures in the mid 50s, the breeding cycle will begin.

Typically, Horry County residents start seeing more mosquito activity in June and July, but mostly in the mornings and nights.

Then there’s an annoying burst of activity from August through October.

“It’s right at the start of deer season and football season. That’s when it gets to where you want to pull your hair out,” Brock said.

This story was originally published January 9, 2018 at 3:28 PM with the headline "The cold snap finally killed off all the mosquitoes, but for how long?."