I’ve usually get told that if you want to get rid of mosquitoes you should get rid of water. I didn’t understand why so I looked it up and realized they need it for egg hatching. This article explores more about the mosquito mating habits and why they need water.
If eggs don’t have water they will not hatch, sometimes even going years before hatching. The other stages of the mosquito life cycle also need water to survive. That is why if you want to eliminate mosquitoes you need to eliminate water.
What causes mosquitoes to breed?
Temperature and humidity are catalysts which signal the mating season. Mosquitoes hibernate during the winter months and come out when the temperature is desirable
When do mosquitoes breed?
Depending on which region the mosquitoes are in they can breed all year round or only during the summer months when temperatures reach 50 degrees and stay steady at that temperature. In tropical regions, where temperatures are usually high, mosquitoes breed all year round.
How do mosquitoes breed?
Mosquitoes do not need much time to mature and to start breeding. Males can mate within the first few days of becoming adults, females can breed almost immediately after becoming an adult
The male knows that it might find a female in close range to a humans so he will wait in close proximity to us. While waiting for the female he will fly in an eight formation waiting to find a blood sucking female mosquito
Mosquitoes meet in groups or swarms. These are called mating swarms. The males know which mosquitoes are female because of the frequency of her wing beats, which are lower than males. The male harmonizes his wing frequency with hers before mating.
The act of mating takes no more than 15 seconds in the air or on the surface. The males uses his pincers to grab the female. The reproduction organ of the male extends into the females for insemination. His seminal fluid causes her to lay eggs and makes her want to take more blood meals. The males mate until the day they die, the females will only mate once, they can store the male sperm for future fertilization
One species of mosquito is aware of the speed of female maturity and after the pupa stage it will immediately find the breathing tube of a female and mate with her
Can mosquitoes lay eggs without water?
They can lay eggs without water but the eggs need water to hatch. There are two types of mosquito’s which lay eggs in water namely permanent water mosquitoes and floodwater mosquitoes
Permanent water mosquitoes
The permanent water variety of mosquitoes are known to lay their eggs clumped together. This clump is called a rafter and can range from 50 to 100 eggs on the surface of the water. They can be laid on ponds, standing water, in swamps, lakes and marshes. In some cases these mosquitoes even prefer polluted and stagnant water
There are two common types of these permanent water mosquitoes namely culex and anopheles. They prefer temperatures of 70°. This is the time that they are most active. In order for the eggs to survive they must stay in water and after a couple of days these eggs hatch and produce larvae which will start the process of developing into adult mosquitoes
When necessary because of urbanization these types of mosquitoes have been forced to breed in human made containers which hold water such as containers left outside, buckets, kids toys and kiddy pools
Floodwater mosquitoes
The floodwater mosquito variety prefer to lay her eggs in swell conditions and she can lay 300 eggs at a time. As the ground dries up so do the eggs but as soon as the rain comes and saturates the ground and water levels begin to rise and the eggs start to hatch.
The environment of floodwater mosquitoes are woodland pools which collect water from melting snow, the soft grounds of the meadows, landscape depressions, irrigated pastures and fields, drains and ditches which collect water when storms happen
After 7 to 10 days of heavy rain the mosquitoes which have been breed in floodwaters start to become a problem but after a week or two they subside. If necessary these mosquitoes also breed in containers such as old tires or whatever suits. They breed in dirty water.
Mosquito eggs
For the eggs to survive they have to hatch on the water. Depending on the species the eggs can be laid directly on the water or others can be in small depressions. If the eggs are laid outside of water then they will not hatch for many years as they still need water for this to happen
Mosquito lifespan
The four stages of the mosquito life cycle are: eggs, larvae, pupae and adult
Egg: The eggs can last year’s not hatching if not exposed to water but after water exposure they will hatch in 24 to 72 hours
Larvae: The larva stage happens when the eggs hatch and the larva go into the water feeding on organic material such as protozoans and bacteria. In order for them to grow they shed their skin four times. While in the water they hang upside down.
Pupae: The pupa stage is the next stage, this is characterized by spending time on the water not eating but taking in air, this lasts from 1 to 3 days.
Adult: The adult’s body needs to harden so it rests on the surface of the water. This includes the wing hardening for them to be able to fly. Mating happens after a couple of days.
Interesting to note
Both adult mosquitoes live on nectar for the first part of their life. Males can live on nectar for about a week or two and females for over a month. females need blood when it is time to reproduce
There are a variety of ways that mosquitoes can find you (even in the dark), they use a variety of tactics to zone in on us. This is how.
Prevention from breeding on your property
To prevent mosquitoes from attacking you can use a mosquito net. These nets have small holes which deny mosquitoes entry. Make sure the holes in the nets are small enough to prevent mosquitoes coming in.
Eating garlic is a natural repellent for mosquitoes as they hate the smell. If it’s on your breath they won’t be interested in you, you can use garlic tablets as an alternative. You can also put garlic in clothes pockets.
You can sprinkle cut up chives where you have a mosquito entry problem, they won’t enter. You can also soak the chives in water and use the liquid as a spray.
Be sure to drain any bodies of water that you have in your garden such as pools, ponds and containers.
Check and clean out blocked gutters and drains as this is a good breeding ground for them
You should to switch off any lights especially during the night time to prevent mosquitoes and other insects from being attracted to it
Mosquitoes are attracted to beer because of the carbon dioxide in it, be sure to empty out the containers and throw them out in sealed garbage bags
DEET is a well-known and effective ingredient in insect repellent, you can use a product which contains this. Be warned of the health risks it comes with
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