Color: Varies; Pale brown with whitish stripes across abdomen
Legs: 6
Shape: Narrow Oval
Size: 1/4-3/8″
Antennae: True
One of the best-known summer pests, mosquitoes breed in stagnant water or soft soil and can develop from an egg to adult in 10 to 14 days.
Female mosquitoes suck our blood. Male mosquitoes feed on plant nectars. They are most active from dusk to dawn and will fly up to 14 miles for a blood meal.
Mosquitoes are well-known to spread diseases such as West Nile Virus, malaria and dengue fever.
Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water sources such as storm drains, old tires, children’s wading pools, and birdbaths.
Eliminate or reduce mosquito breeding sites by replacing all standing water at least once a week. This includes bird baths, ponds, and unfiltered pools. Remove unneeded vegetation or trash from around any standing water sources that cannot be changed, dumped, or removed. Introduce mosquito-eating fish such as gambusia, green sunfish, bluegills, and minnows to standing water. Screen windows, doors, and other openings with mesh. Avoid going outdoors when and where mosquitoes are most active: during dusk or dawn. Use insect repellent containing DEET on exposed skin whenever or wherever mosquitoes are likely to bite.
When a mosquito bites you, it injects saliva into your skin. Your immune system reacts by releasing histamine, which causes the bite to itch and swell. Scratching the bite releases even more histamine, making the itch feel worse.
Many animals eat mosquitoes, like birds, bats, dragonflies, and some fish such as mosquitofish, which eat mosquito larvae in water. These predators help control mosquitoes but usually cannot reduce large populations on their own.
Mosquitoes are attracted to body heat, carbon dioxide, and sweat, so they often bite people who are active or warm. They are also drawn to standing water, tall grass, and thick plants because these are good places for them to rest and lay eggs.