Mosquitoes

Family Culicidae 3 – 9mm (1.2 in. – 3.5 in.)

In a mosquito’s world, females take the lead. Most female mosquitoes ruin the party flying around and drinking human and animal blood with their long noses (proboscis) to help produce their eggs. One female can lay over a hundred eggs at a time. They develop in standing puddles of water or mud, bird baths and buckets and hatch within a day. Be sure to empty and dry household items such as soda cans, glass jars and flower pots, because their wet, concealed environments attract females to lay eggs. Male mosquitoes are smaller and they only feed on nectars and sugars. Their lifespan is shorter than the female.

Babies (larvae) hover over stagnant water sources. They’ll the eat flotsam and organisms growing in the water. Mosquitoes may fly miles from where they’d developed so it’s hard to track them. They’ll wreak havoc from dusk till dawn because sunlight may dehydrate and kill them. But they’ll bravely swarm around in daylight on cloudy days and in dark, shady areas.

Mosquitoes are the peskiest flying insect of them all and can spread the West Nile Virus, Dengue and Malaria. But they’re more likely to be annoyances than disease carriers. People often get bitten numerous times before they notice a stealthy mosquito. The bites produce red itchy bumps, swelling or dark spots. Those with low immune systems must look out for secondary infections, headaches, swollen lymph nodes, hives and low-grade fevers.

Because mosquitoes can quickly spread disease, they are regarded as dangerous creatures. To learn more about Mosquito danger visit the EPA Mosquito Control web page.

Mosquito extermination plans consist of reduction and treatment of water sources favorable for mosquito breeding, and may require using eco-friendly pesticides.