Dusk, that time in the evening after sunset and just before night, is when many species of mosquitos are most active. Others are more active during the day. With more than 150 kinds of mosquitos in the country, it’s not entirely possible to declare the exact timing of their habits. However, for most species of mosquitos in the United States, activity peaks during the dusk hours, especially in wooded and shady places near water.

Two of the most prominent mosquito species bite at different times: one tends to bite during the day—in the morning or late afternoon—while the more common house mosquito is most likely to bite in the evening or the first few hours of the night. This household mosquito avoids daylight because exposure to the sun dehydrates and kills them.

Many kinds of mosquitoes are least likely to bite at midday when the sun and heat are at their peak. If there is a mosquito inside of a building, it tends to stay active longer because of the interior temperature and light controls.