Mosquito Life Cycle
Mosquitoes are insects belonging to the order Diptera. They all have two wings, but one unique feature is that mosquito wings have scales. The female mosquitoes’ mouth parts form a long piercing-sucking proboscis. The male doesn’t share this mouth part and cannot pierce a human’s skin. The females need the blood to produce eggs. One thing you may not know about mosquitoes is that their principal food is nectar or a similar sugar source. Mosquito life cycle starts with an egg and grows through a larva, pupa to an adult stage. The larvae are aquatic and the adults are free flying.
Mosquito Breeding Sites
It’s important to clean up around your house because most mosquitoes fly in a radius of about 1 mile from their breeding site!
- Bird Baths: Old stagnate water can lead to breeding site for mosquitos. Change and clean the water every few days.
- Cans and Buckets: Make sure to discard them and store them upside down to not allow water to accumulate.
- Canoes and Boats: Cover with a tarp and put them upside down.
- Cesspools and Septic tanks: Again make sure everything is covered.
- Drainage Basins/Un-level ground: Add dirt to areas where water accumulates after rain, grade dirt to correct the problem areas. Sometimes French drainage systems are needed.
- Flower Pots: Drain standing water.
- Gutters: Clean out leaves and debris that trap water, we provide these services as well.
- Leaky faucets: Should be closed tightly as water build-up can create breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
- Old Tires: Don’t allow them to retain water in the yard.
- Toys: Should be placed in an area where they won’t collect rainwater.
- Small Ponds: You can stock these with fish that will eat any developing mosquitos.
- Storm Drains: Check them frequently to insure water flows freely.
- Swimming Pool Tarps: Try to have them sloped so water runs off and doesn’t accumulate on the tarp.
- Wheel Barrows: Store them upside down and do not allow them to store large quantities of water.
- Yard Waste: Lawn cuttings and raked leaves should be removed to prevent potential breeding sites.
Did You Know?
There are about 2,700 species of mosquito, but only 176 species of mosquito are located in the United States!