How Long Do Mosquitoes Live?

While vampires may be drawn from myths and folklore, they are definitely real and exist in the form of mosquitoes. These bloodsucking creatures claim a million lives every year and put millions more at risk by spreading infectious diseases.

Mosquitoes are extremely active during the summer survive on both human and animal blood. And they seemingly disappear in the winter as well. So how long do mosquitoes live and is there anything we can do to kill them all for good?

Where Do Mosquitoes Live?

If you are planning on dealing with mosquitoes early in their life cycle, you need to be aware of where the pests live. Mosquitoes generally rest during the day, especially on warmer days. They are prone to dehydration which is why you do not see them on extremely hot days. Most mosquitoes are active during the early hours of the day and in the evenings. The best time to take precautionary measures and deal with mosquitoes is when they are resting.

So, where do they live when they are not active? You should take out some time to inspect your yard and your home’s pipelines to look for places where mosquitoes may be breeding. Using mosquito killers when they are resting is the best way to keep their population in check at home. Spray some insecticide directly in their resting places for maximum effect.

The deadly insects like hiding in dark and damp places. The best places to look for mosquitoes include:

• Downpipes
• Holes in trees and walls
• Roof gutters
• Culverts
• Grass and vegetation
• Undersides of leaves
• Shady and damp places

If there are too many mosquitoes in your home and you feel commercial products can’t get the job done, you should consider seeking assistance from professional pest control services. If you want to deal with them yourself, try to get permethrin-based sprays. You do not want to use harsh chemicals that may harm your health or even your pets. Try to look for products that are biodegradable to be safe.

Lifespan of Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are among the most disliked insects in the world. It is not just itching and filth that they bring, but also serious diseases. Which is why we are constantly trying to keep them away from us. If you want to control a mosquito outbreak in your home or workplace, knowing more about the lifespan of mosquitoes can definitely help as it will allow you to deal with mosquitoes in the early stages of their life cycle.

Mosquitoes live for only two weeks on average and it is more than enough for them to wreak havoc on a person’s health. But how exactly do these bloodsucking insects thrive in numbers even though they have such a small life cycle? Let’s find out.

Eggs:

An interesting fact about mosquitoes is that only the females draw blood. After consuming blood, female mosquitoes lay eggs in stagnant water. While mosquitoes breeding in stagnant water is considered to be the norm, it is not always true. There are breeds that can also lay eggs in plants and damped places without needing any stagnant water to give birth.

Larvae:

Larvae grow on stagnant water and upon hatching baby mosquitoes resemble small white worms. This is the ideal stage for you to deal with mosquito infestations. Larvae feed on microorganisms to sustain themselves as they slowly begin developing into pupae. Larvae can easily be killed and taking preventing measures to avoid mosquitoes from breeding can allow you to bring down the number of mosquitos in your home.

Pupae:

After larvae feed and grow into pupae after a molting process, it takes approximately up to four days until they develop into adult mosquitoes. Unlike larvae, pupae are easily visible and can be dealt with using pest control measures very easily.

Adult:

Fully developed mosquitoes break out of their cocoons and take flight. After fully developing, they live for approximately two weeks.

Check out the video below to understand the life cycle of mosquitoes:

What If We Killed All Mosquitoes?

Let’s face it – no one likes mosquitoes. While it is true that there are over 3500 species of mosquitoes, there are very few that actually harm humans and animals. But most of the disease-carrying mosquitoes can be lethal as we have seen over the years. The Zika virus, yellow fever, and malaria are all borne by mosquitoes. So, what if we kill all mosquitoes? Would anything change?

So why don’t we deal with all mosquitoes once and for all? It is just not possible as it is too difficult for us to bring an entire species to an end. Experts agree that their population can be dealt with in local populations, even to the extent of permanently eradicating certain species.

But with each mosquito being capable of laying hundreds of eggs, it does not seem like a realistic idea.
So, what can we do about it? The only way to stop mosquitoes is by keeping their population in check locally.

Mosquitoes and Immunity

Now that you know how long do mosquitoes live and how they can be dealt with, here are some misconceptions that need to be cleared out. A lot of us tend to think that household products and commercial sprays are more than enough to keep mosquitoes away for good. Mosquito resistance to insecticide has been a growing concern for decades.

Just like humans, mosquitoes have an evolution cycle and the more we expose them to chemicals and repellents, they keep generating immunity. Evolution is a natural mechanism that is seen in nearly every organism and it is to no one’s surprise that most anti-mosquito products are rendered useless over time.

If you are unable to get anything to work, it is important that you contact pest control services immediately. Most professional organizations are constantly keeping up with the industry trends to ensure mosquitoes are dealt with as effectively as possible. They are equipped with the most effective pest control products available and can definitely assist you in dealing with your pest problems.

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