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How Long do Mosquitoes Live?
Mosquitoes are interesting creatures with a relatively short lifespan. Learning about their lifespan and life cycle can help us understand how to best protect ourselves from these blood-sucking pests. In this blog post, we’ll explore the basics of mosquito lifespan and life cycle. We’ll also discuss some methods for preventing mosquito bites.
How Long do Mosquitoes Live?
The lifespan of a mosquito depends on several factors, including species, and environment. However, most mosquitoes live between two to three weeks under normal conditions.
Depending On the Species
The common house mosquito, Culex pipiens, typically only lives for about 10-60 days. However, some species like the Asian Tiger Mosquito (Aedes albopictus), can live for over 30-40 days.
Female mosquitoes usually live longer than males, with some females living up to one month. Males generally only live for about a week after they mate. In addition, only female mosquitoes bite humans since they need blood to develop their eggs, while male mosquitoes mostly drink nectar.
The Environment Can Affect Mosquito Lifespan
The environment can also play a role in how long mosquitoes live. Mosquitoes are most likely to thrive and survive in hot and humid environments. In cooler climates, mosquitoes may not live as long due to the lack of food and suitable breeding grounds.
Indoor environments are generally ideal for mosquitoes since they’re protected from the elements and have a constant food source (humans). As a result, mosquitoes that live indoors typically have a longer lifespan than those that live outdoors. That’s why mosquitoes make it hard to enjoy your vacation in an Airbnb or hotel such as Arlington Highlands in Arlington, Texas. Make sure to bring your mosquito repellent everywhere!
The Life Cycle of a Mosquito
A mosquito’s life cycle consists of four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Depending on the species and temperature, a mosquito can take 8-10 days to complete its life cycle.
Female mosquitoes lay their eggs in stagnant water sources, such as ponds, marshes, and rain gutters. Each female can lay up to 100 eggs at a time. When first deposited, mosquito eggs are color white and darken after 12- 24 hours. Female mosquitoes laid eggs in batches of up to a few hundred. The incubation period (elapsed time between oviposition and readiness for hatching) varies depending on environmental and genetic factors.
Eggs can withstand harsh conditions. For example, mosquitoes that live in desert areas can last for months without water. In addition, it can withstand even being frozen in cold temperatures.
They are the most active aquatic form of mosquitoes. Larvae play an important role in their life cycle and size since adults can no longer grow, so they will determine the size of an adult.
The mosquito larva is a small hairy worm that has an abdomen with ten segments. It’s typically less than 1/4 inch long and possesses a hard round head and soft body. Depending on temperature, they can live in water for up to 14 days.
Since they need to survive, they constantly eat algae, plankton, and other water microorganisms. They grow after four molting processes and can grow for almost 1/2 inch at the final molt.
When the mosquito larva molts for its fourth time, it becomes a pupa. Pupae are called “tumblers” and float near to water’s surface. Mosquitoes don’t eat or molt; they breathe air and change inside their casing (cocoon) into adults.
The pupal stage can last 2-3 days; during this time, they emerge from the water’s surface as adult mosquitoes.
After a pupal stage, the adult mosquitoes will rest on the water’s surface for a few hours for their exoskeleton to harden and their wings to dry.
The male mosquitoes will mate with the female shortly after emerging as an adult, while the females will begin to search for food.
Though their life cycle and appearance may be simple, mosquitoes are one of the deadliest animals on Earth. They’re responsible for spreading diseases like malaria, Zika virus, and yellow fever to humans. So, it’s important to be aware of their life cycle to prevent them from breeding and multiplying.
How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes?
Now that you know more about the life cycle of mosquitoes, here are some tips on how to get rid of them:
- Eliminate their breeding grounds by removing stagnant water around your homes, such as rain gutters, old tires, or buckets.
- Use mosquito traps and/or repellents to reduce their population.
- Cover up any exposed skin when outdoors, and use mosquito netting if necessary.
- Be aware when mosquitoes are most active, typically dawn and dusk. If possible, stay indoors during these times.
- If severe infestation occurs, call a professional pest control company. They will be able to help you eliminate the problem.
Following these tips can help reduce the mosquito population and protect yourself from diseases they may carry.
