Mosquitoes are lovers of warm weather. It is quite typical of them to come out in great numbers in seasons of warm weather. During this period, it is not uncommon to see people wondering where the mosquitoes are coming from. The purpose of this article is to shed more light on where these biting creatures that disrupt your peace in warm seasons live. Also, effective remedies for decreasing mosquito population around you will be discussed.
Where Do Mosquitoes Live?
On the surface, it looks like mosquitoes have a fondness for dwelling in your backyard and eardrums – they actually do. What you should also know is, mosquitoes live in different environments throughout their lifespan. These environments include stagnant water (puddles, ponds, wetlands), hollow logs, tall grass, and under leaf litter. One common feature shared by the aforementioned environments is the presence of moisture, a factor that is necessary for the survival and breeding of mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes are known for changing their environment upon reaching a new stage of their life cycle. Briefly discussed below are the different stages and corresponding environments throughout a mosquito’s life cycle.
Eggs
Mosquitoes are aquatic in the early stages of their life – one of the reasons why they need moisture for survival. Usually, the eggs are laid in any area with a richness of water. For these eggs to hatch, water must be present. As you might have already guessed, eliminating stagnant water and flooded areas from your property and surrounding will go a long way in decreasing the population of mosquitoes around you.
Mosquito Larva & Pupa
Mosquito larvae spend a better part of their lives developing in water and feeding on smaller organisms like algae. After a mosquito larva molts the fourth time, it enters the pupa stage, which is also aquatic. From this point, the adult mosquito emerges from its covering, dries its wings, and takes flight.
As earlier mentioned, if you are intent on eliminating mosquitoes, first eliminate water from your surroundings. You can already see how crucial the role of water is for the development of mosquitoes from egg to adult.
Adult Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes start breeding as soon as they become adults, usually 28 hours of emerging from the pupal phase. To mate successfully, females need to feed on blood. When they are not breeding or out hunting for blood, adult mosquitoes dwell in tall grass; within logs, hollow trees or stumps; or underneath leaf litter.
Are Mosquito Nests Real?
None of the discussed stages of a mosquito’s life cycle above give any information about mosquito nests. Unlike social insects like bees, termites, wasps, and ants, mosquitoes are not known to form collective or familial nests. Unfortunately, this means removing mosquitoes from your environment or property is a little trickier than simply finding and destroying their nests.
Tips For Decreasing Mosquito Population
To get the best results in your quest to rid your home or business of mosquitoes, the best course of action to take is to contact pest control experts.
- If you are looking to deal with this problem yourself, here are some measures you can take:
- Be sure to empty ponds, fountains, bird baths, buckets, and anything else that may gather water regularly.
- Drill holes in trash cans, tire swings and recycle bins to prevent the accumulation of stagnant water.
- Clean out drainage to avoid stagnant water.
- Cut shrubs and grass short – adult mosquitoes are fond of dwelling in shady areas.
- Fix leaky outdoor faucets.