Mosquito Info

The mosquito. It is most common pest and also the quickest to spread disease in North America. Since mosquitos require water to complete their life cycle, the...See more » The mosquito. It is most common pest and also the quickest to spread disease in North America. Since mosquitos require water to complete their life cycle, the best bet for any conscious person to remove all standing water from their property. To understand the mosquito, it’s a good idea to understand the life cycle in order to terminate the cycle and protect your home, property, and family. First of all, water is the main component to mosquito life. The quality of the watercan range from melted snow to sewage in any and all containers. The adult will lay its eggs in preferable sources that periodically hold water. Places such as irrigated pastures, rain water ponds, tide water pool in salt marshes, sewage ponds, and rain water ponds make the perfect egg-laying environment for adult mosquitos. General areas around the home that can become egg infested are buckets with standing water, wheel barrels, over watered potted plants, rain gauges, bird bathes, and animal water sources. Any container that holds water for a period of time is a breeding ground. It is suggested that even bird baths are changed frequently. Most eggs hatch into larvae within 48 hours. The larva live in the water and come to the surface to breathe. They shed their skin four times growing larger each time. Larvae have siphon tubes for breathing and usually hang from the waters surface. Larva feed on micro-organisms and organic matter in the matter. On the fourth molt, or shedding of skin, they become pupa. The pupa stage is the time when the mosquito turns to an adult. The pupal stage is a resting stage. The pupa does not eat during this stage of life. It takes two days before the adult is fully developed. When development is complete, the pupal skin splits and the mosquito emerges as an adult. The newly emerged adult rests on the surface of the water for a short amount of time and allows itself to dry. This gives its body time to harden. The wings of the mosquito have to properly dry and spread out in order for the mosquito to fly. The adult female has to feed and get plenty of blood meal before she can developp eggs. Without the blood meal the mosquito will die without producing viable eggs. Only a few select species have developed the means to lay proper eggs without getting a blood meal before. The usual life span of the average mosquito is a very short span of time. Most males live about a week and females live about a month depending on certain environmental factors. The best step anyone can take to prevent mosquito infestation is standing water removal. Use preparation to keep you and your family safe.See less »