Mosquito Biology and Control

Mosquitoes are different from other insects and are part of the family Diptera.  All adult mosquitoes have three characteristics:  Long many segmented antennae, a piercing and sucking mouth part, and scales on the wing veins and margins. 

There are over 2,500 species of mosquitoes in the worked and about 165 species in North America through Mexico.  Mosquitoes undergo complete metamorphosis and have four distinct stages in their life cycle:  egg, larva, pupa and adult.  The mosquito’s eggs, larvae and pupae are all aquatic.  And the adults are terrestrial.

The adult stage of mosquito’s life cycle is the reproductive phase.  It begins when the mosquito has fully developed inside the pupa and emerges an adult.  Emergence takes only a few minutes, if the water is agitated in any way while the adult is emerging, the mosquito may tip over and drown.    

The female of each blood feeding species of mosquito have the characteristic time of the day when they actively seek blood meals.  They may also differ in the host they prefer, many Culex species prefer bird and hardly ever feed on humans. 

During the active mosquito season a female mosquito may live for a month or more alternating seeking blood meals and developing eggs then finding suitable egg-laying sites.

Typical breeding sites form the Culex family are roadside ditches, canals, ground pools, catch basins, storm sewers, clogged streams and irrigated land.

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Mosquito Foggers and Misters for DIY Pest Control

Mosquitoes are flies and have only 2 wings.  The Female mosquitoes posses the long proposcis used to pierce the skin of animals and suck their blood.  Mosquitoes go through complete metamorphosis, egg, larvae, pupa, and adult.  Most females can produce eggs for life after only one mating; eggs require water to hatch in one to three days, with larvae developing all 4 instars in seven  to 10 days.  Therefore the entire life cycle of the mosquito usually takes 10 to 16 days.

Mosquito larvae and pupae must have water to develop so any object that can contains water for seven or more days is the perfect breeding spot for our blood sucking friends. 

Because mosquito populations are a fact of life and the level of activity can rise and fall, it is important for individual home owners to take mosquito control into their own hands and monitor their landscaping for breeding grounds and areas of heavy resting and infestation.    The use of insecticides, larvicides and fogging units can help you control mosquitoes and take back your back yard.

Check out our free advice page for more information on Mosquito control Solutions.

At ePestSolutions we offer a full line of professional Mosquito control products, pyretrhins, insecticides, Hydrop, riptide, misting systems, mosquito foggers, mosquito control insecticides, and larvacides for the Do It yourself Pest Control homeowner.