What is the Mosquito Life Cycle?
Mosquitoes have a four-stage life cycle. Each is easy to identify due to its unique appearance. Knowing the stages of the life cycle can be beneficial in mitigating your mosquito problem.
- Egg — Eggs can be laid differently depending on the species of mosquito. Culex and Culiseta lay their eggs so they are attached to each other forming a raft. Anopheles and Aedes’ eggs do not attach once they are laid. Culex, Culiseta, and Anopheles will lay their eggs on the surface of the water. Aedes tend to find damp soil to lay their eggs. Eggs will typically hatch into larvae, the next stage in the life cycle, within 48 hours of being laid. For all species of mosquitoes, water is a main part of their habitat.
- Larva — A mosquito’s larvae will live in water, breaching the surface to breathe. A majority of larvae have siphon tubes that are used for breathing and hanging upside down on the surface of the water. Lacking the siphon tubes, Anopheles larvae will lie parallel to the surface breathing through an opening. A larva’s diet consists of microorganisms and organic matter that can be found in the water. Larvae will molt their skins as they grow. In the larval stage, they will molt four times. On the fourth molting, the larva will move to the next stage of the life cycle.
- Pupa — This is a developmental stage in the mosquito life cycle. The pupa does not feed during this stage. Similar to the metamorphosis process a caterpillar goes through to become a butterfly, the pupal stage takes about two days to complete and evolve into a mosquito.
- Adult — An adult mosquito will emerge on the surface of the water. It must dry and harden properly before attempting to fly. A couple days after the mosquito hatches itself from the pupa stage it begins feeding on humans and beginning the breeding process. Mosquitoes tend to stay in the same location throughout their life cycle.
How to Disrupt the Mosquito Life Cycle
Knowing the stages of the mosquito life cycle can help you prevent them from invading your home. Though it can be difficult, you can prevent mosquitoes from making your home a breeding ground by minimizing the amount of standing water you have on your property. Since that is a daunting task, especially due to rainy areas, you may need to wait until the last stage of the life cycle.
Prepare your property by setting up a Dynatrap® Outdoor Insect Trap. Dynatrap® uses advanced technology to deliver unmatched control of mosquitoes and more. Here's how it works: the LED bulb generates UV rays that attract flying insects, day and night. As insects approach the device, a powerful fan pulls them into the catch basket. Once inside, a patented damper keeps them securely trapped. The trap is easy to use - just plug it in, turn it on, and leave it on 24/7 to effectively disrupt the mosquito breeding cycle.
Need More Tips on Mosquito Prevention?
For more tips on disrupting the mosquito life cycle, continue reading our mosquito prevention articles. Join our Facebook community to share your prevention stories and get ideas for removing your own pest problems. Don’t forget to subscribe to our e-newsletter to learn more about our traps and receive discounts on products.
