When the air temperature rises to an average of over 10 degrees, the warmth draws out mosquitoes from their hiding places.

Therefore, it is likely that people working outdoors will come across the first mosquitoes of the year in the near future, said Mõtsküla, a veterinarian and junior researcher at the Estonian University of Life Sciences.

"For example, many chironomid midges hibernate in adult form. We saw quite a few of them this winter during our cave studies. There are more than last year. We must keep in mind that we are on this wave of climate warming, meaning that year by year, as the warmth arrives earlier, we may start to see these biting mosquitoes outdoors sooner," she said.

Moisture also affects mosquito numbers. Although March was relatively dry this year and there was little snow to melt, Mõtsküla believes there will be more mosquitoes in the early spring period this year than last year.

"Everything depends on how much moisture we get in the near future," she said.

The surrounding environment also plays a role and the more diverse it is, the better.

"If we have a very clean, paved garden where there is no space for other organisms that could feed on mosquito larvae, but we do have beautiful ornamental ponds, which are ideal places for mosquitoes to complete their life cycle, then we will also have more of these biting mosquitoes," Mõtsküla said.

With the mosquito season underway, the junior researcher points out that it is not possible to get completely rid of the pests. She recommends wearing lighter-colored clothing.

"Mosquitoes are largely drawn to carbon dioxide. The more we breathe, the more carbon dioxide we exhale, the greater the chance that the mosquitoes will find us. Mosquitoes love large, dark shapes. One should also stay clean, because certain molecules in sweat and others secreted from the skin attract these mosquitoes," Mõtsküla said.

She said repellents available in stores can also be used, though each product has different effectiveness. As a veterinarian, she also stresses that when there are a lot of mosquitoes outside, protection should also be used on pets, such as dogs.

"They [mosquitoes] carry very significant pathogens. Last year, we spoke about heartworm transmitted by mosquitoes, which is spreading in our local environment. Soon we will be publishing an article about a skin worm transmissible to humans, also carried by mosquitoes, which has already been present in Estonia for years. When we look at this in the context of pathogens, it's important to control mosquitoes not only on ourselves, but also on our pets," Mõtsküla said.

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