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Insect Control

10 Facts about Mosquitoes

By July 15, 2022No Comments

It’s that time of year – mosquito season! 

In order to deal with mosquitoes, it helps to understand them. You know the old saying, “know thy enemy”…

“Know thy enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles, you will never be defeated. When you are ignorant of the enemy but know yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal. If ignorant both of your enemy and of yourself, you are sure to be defeated in every battle.”

Knowing where mosquitoes like to live, breed and hatch eggs can help you deal with them around your property.

Here are 10 interesting facts about mosquitoes: 

  1. A female mosquito can lay more than 700 eggs over the course of her life (which is just a few months). She lays eggs every three weeks.
  2. A female mosquito can mate with a male mosquito once and lay eggs up to five times from just that one encounter.  
  3. Mosquitoes spend 75% of their life cycle in the water. 
  4. Mosquitoes need water to lay eggs in. 
  5. A mosquito can lay as many as 100 eggs in a space as small as a bottle cap. 
  6. Mosquitoes move through four stages of life: egg, larvae, pupae, and adult. The first three stages depend on water.  
  7. Mosquito larvae and pupae live on the surface of the water.  When mosquitoes are adults they are able to leave the water.
  8. Male mosquitoes life span is approximately a week and they mostly subsist on plant nectar. After they mate, they usually only live for 3 to 5 days.
  9. Female mosquitoes are the ones biting you. They need the blood meal to support their eggs and can live a month or two under ideal conditions. Our blood contains a protein that mosquito eggs require for development.
  10. Mosquitoes can hibernate.

 Mosquitoes may be a nasty nuisance, but they are an important part of our ecosystem, providing a food source for other insects and animals.

For tips on how to mosquito proof your yard, check out our blog.

Sources:  

Lawn Love, How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes in Your Yard 

Odomos, Interesting Facts about Mosquitoes

NOTE:

The information contained in this blog is compliments of several sources. We are not experts on mosquitoes.