General Facts

There are over 3,000 species of mosquitoes worldwide.

Mosquitoes are largely aquatic with most of their development occurring in or near stagnant water.

Only female mosquitoes feed on or “bite” humans to obtain protein necessary for egg laying.

Mosquitoes are cold-blooded creatures and do not generally bite in temperatures below 50 F.

Mosquitoes can live as long as 2-3 months and adults that hibernate can live as long as 6-8 months.

How they "bite": First of all they can not bite, they cannot even open their jaw, they sting. Here's how they do it. First they pierce the skin with a stylet. This may take many tries. Then a chemical called salvia is released to prevent the blood from clotting. Then the blood is sucked up. Finally it flies away.

Males vs Females: Females are the only ones who drink blood. Males get their nutrients from nectar of plants like the purple loosetrife pictured at right.

The transition of disease: First a mosquito bites an infected person. In doing so it ingests a virus. Second the virus builds in the mosquito. Finally the mosquito bites someone else and infects the person.

Wings: mosquitoes have a lot of trouble flying because they have very small wings. But they have adapted by having scales on their wings which reduces drag so they can fly.

Life Cycle

The mosquito life cycle has four stages – egg, larvae, pupa and adult.

Mosquito eggs are deposited singly or clustered in egg rafts on the water surface. Once the egg hatch, mosquitoes develop into the larval stage where they feed and grow. They then progress to a non-feeding pupal stage and finally emerge as an adult. The life cycle is complete in seven to 10 days in warmer weather and up to two months in cool, spring weather.

Mosquito Control

Completely change water in birdbaths and wading pools weekly. Drill drainage holes in tire swings.

• Stock ornamental ponds and fountains with fish that eat mosquito larvae.

• Avoid mosquitoes by staying indoors at dawn and dusk when they are most active.

• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants while outdoors.

• Apply insect repellent that contains DEET. Follow directions carefully.

• Install or repair window and door screens to keep mosquitoes out.