The Life Cycle of a Mosquito
Spring is here and mosquito season will be here shortly! Did you know mosquitoes only need consistent temperatures of 55 degrees to become active? It is important to understand the life cycle of the mosquito in order to prevent them. For those of you that are not familiar, the mosquito life cycle is composed of four stages: eggs, larval, pupae and adult.
Egg
The female mosquito needs protein to nourish the eggs. They get their food from the blood of animals, humans, mammals, birds and more. Only female mosquitoes bite. Male mosquitoes just feed on nectar of plants or honeydew to get sugar. After receiving the blood, either in one bite or several, the female finds a place to rest for several days until her eggs are grown.
Female mosquitoes can lay up to 300 eggs at a time and spend their first 10 days in water! Females usually lay their eggs during at night. Eggs can hatch in as little as a half inch of standing water (water is necessary for the eggs to hatch). This is why it is very important to eliminate any stagnant water on your property- pool covers, children’s toys, pet water bowls, trash cans, buckets, bird baths (change daily) and gutters. Females often lay their eggs attached together to form “rafts”, which float on the surface of the water.
Larval & Pupae
The eggs then turn into larvae within 24-48 hours. Larva swim in jerky motions which is why they are commonly referred to as “wigglers”. The pupae can swim by flipping its stomach, which is why they are commonly known as “tumbler”. Usually, larvae and pupae cannot survive without water.
Adult
Several days later, the pupae will transform into an adult mosquito. Adult female mosquitoes live about 42 – 56 days and males live about 10 days. Females will lay eggs up to three times before they die.
Who knew such a tiny organism could have such a sophisticated lifecycle? Science is cool. But you know what’s not cool? Having these mosquitoes (in any part of their life stage) biting you, ruining your outdoor fun and invading your backyard.
Now is a great time to schedule your spring sprays. Contact us by filling out the contact form to the right or by calling us at 973-435-0747. To learn more about our services, please visit our website at wayne.mosquitojoe.com.
