Category Archives: Mosquito Control

With warm weather right around the corner, mosquitoes are quick to follow. When you start to feel the itchiness from the first mosquito bite of the season, the first thought that comes to mind is, “Where are all of these mosquitoes coming from?!” The pest experts of Mosquito Joe are here to answer where these pesky pests live and how you can decrease their population in your yard.

Where Do Mosquitoes Live?

While it may seem that mosquitoes occupy your backyard and eardrums alone, mosquitoes actually live in different environments throughout their lifecycle. These environments include standing water (ponds, puddles, wetlands), tall grass, hollow logs, and under leaf litter.

Mosquito Eggs

In the early stages of their life, mosquitoes are aquatic. Eggs could be laid in flood areas, standing water, or damp soil, but water must be present for the eggs to hatch. This is the reason that eliminating standing water from your yard is an effective measure for decreasing mosquitoes.

Mosquito Larva & Pupa

Mosquito larvae spend their entire lives developing in water and feeding on microorganisms, algae, and so on. Once a mosquito larva has molted four times, it develops into the pupa stage, which is also aquatic. From here, the adult mosquito emerges from its casing, dries its wings, and takes flight.

As you can see, water plays an extremely important role in mosquitoes making their way from eggs to adults.

Adult Mosquitoes

Once mosquitoes become full-fledged adults they begin breeding, often within 28 hours of emerging from pupal stage. Females require a blood meal to mate successfully. When they are not out for blood or breeding, adult mosquitoes rest in tall grass; inside logs, hollow trees or stumps; or under leaf litter.

Mosquito Nest: Is It Real?

As you may have noticed, none of these mosquito life stages describe what we might think of as a nest. Mosquitoes are not social insects such as bees or ants, so they will not form a familial or collective nest. Unfortunately, that means removing mosquitoes from your yard is a little trickier than simply finding their nest and decimating it, no matter how satisfying that would be.

How To Decrease Their Population In Your Yard

Mosquito Joe is here to rid your yard of any mosquitoes that are ruining your outdoor fun. Here are some measures you can take to make sure mosquitoes aren’t bugging you:

• Regularly empty ponds, bird baths, fountains, buckets, kids toys and anything else that may gather water.
• Drill holes in tire swings, trash cans and recycle bins so stagnant water cannot accumulate.
• Cut grass and shrubs short – adult mosquitoes gather to rest in shady areas.
• Clean out gutters to avoid standing water.
• Repair leaky outdoor faucets.
• Let Mosquito Joe be your second line of defense by getting a barrier treatment that protects your yard from mosquitoes, ticks and fleas

If it feels like the mosquitoes in your yard never take a break, it’s time to take a stand! Call the pros at Mosquito Joe today at 1-855-275-2563 or contact us online and make the backyard yours again!

A mosquito buzzing in your ear is a short-lived annoyance, but the itch from their bite can be a lasting nuisance. Why do mosquito bites itch and how long do mosquito bites itch? Most important, you’re probably asking how to stop mosquito bites from itching.

Let the experts at Mosquito Joe answer these questions and more!

Why Do Mosquito Bites Itch?             

The body’s immune system interprets the saliva from a mosquito’s bite as a foreign substance. This triggers the immune system to produce histamine in order to confront the infection. Histamine sends white blood cells and increased blood flow to the site of infection, which results in inflammation. This increased swelling and nerves in the surrounding area cause the mosquito bite to itch.

How Long Do Mosquito Bites Itch?            

As the mosquito bite heals, the itching sensation subsides. The skin will take on a less red shade as the irritation dissipates. Typically, mosquito bites may itch from three to four days. This time period can differ from person to person and bite to bite.

How to Stop Mosquito Bites from Itching?

There are many tried-and-true methods to mitigate the itch of a mosquito bite such as calamine lotion or a hydrocortisone cream, but the methods people use in practice are seemingly endless!

Here are a few other home remedies to help with mosquito bite itch:

Don’t Itch

• While this may seem obvious, the less you scratch the bite, the less irritated and inflamed it will be.

Baking Soda Paste

• Mix one tablespoon of baking soda with enough water to form a paste. Apply to the bite and then wash off the mixture after 10 minutes.

Cool it Down

• A bag of ice or cold pack applied to a mosquito bite can reduce inflammation and thus lessen the itch.

Heat It Up

• The opposite treatment with the same goal. Applying heat to a bite may also work toward reducing inflammation and itch. Turn the shower up as high as you can stand and put that bite under the hot water.

Primrose Oil

• A natural remedy, applying primrose oil to a mosquito bite can help with swelling and itching.

Witch Hazel

• Witch hazel is another natural option. Applying a dab to an inflamed mosquito bite can lessen irritation and expedite healing.

Honey

• While not advised to wear outside (it can attract more bugs), a dab of honey can help soothe an itching bite.

Lime Juice

• Rub a slice of lemon or lime on the affected area to use as an anti-inflammatory.

If There’s No Bite, There’s No Itch

While there are remedies to address the itch, the best solution is to fight the bites before you get them! Contact or call Mosquito Joe today at 1-855-275-2563 to make the first step toward a bite-free space with mosquito control!

How Many Mosquitoes Are in the World?

It’s impossible to accurately tabulate the number of mosquitoes in the world. The adult lives of mosquitoes are brief, rarely lasting more than 15 days. And female mosquitoes lay a clutch of 100-200 eggs every three days, laying as many as three sets of eggs before dying. With such a rapid reproduction cycle, the number of mosquitoes in our world is changing every second.
However, across the globe there are 3,500 different species of mosquito. These species are subdivided into 112 genus-species with the main distinction being preferred breeding habitat

How Many Species of Mosquitoes Are There in the World?

There are approximately 3,500 species of mosquitoes worldwide with around 175 residing in the United States. Most of the mosquitoes found within the United States fall into three genera: Aedes, Anopheles, or Culex genus.

Aedes
These mosquitoes can be identified by their narrow black bodies and legs with alternating bands of light and dark. They were originally found in the tropics but have spread throughout the world and are now found on all continents except Antarctica. Aedes mosquitoes are responsible for the spread of dengue fever.

Anopheles
Mosquitoes in this genus are the main transmitters of malaria throughout the world, though the species that live in the United States do not transmit malaria. 460 different species of mosquitoes have been identified within this genus, but not all of them are able to transmit disease.

Culex
Culex are often thought of as the common house mosquito, but are responsible for transmitting a number of diseases including West Nile Virus and encephalitis. In the United States, this mosquito can be found throughout the Southeast states.

While the total number of mosquitoes there are in the world is impossible to quantify, we do have an idea of the number of types and species. With 3,500 species worldwide, that’s certainly a lot of mosquitoes.

How Many Mosquitoes Are in Your Backyard?

To give you an idea of how hard it would be to determine a world population of mosquitoes, have you ever tried to count the mosquitoes flitting around your backyard? We’re willing to bet you haven’t. We’re also willing to bet that the thought of doing so is daunting. To get close enough to count them would surely requite sacrificing yourself to an uncomfortable excess of bites.

If it starts to feel like every mosquito is targeting your backyard, give your local Mosquito Joe a call or request a free quote and make the first step toward a mosquito-free yard!

The whine of a mosquito in your ear is enough to drive you crazy and make you wish these pests had more natural predators. But what animals eat mosquitoes?

Even though they do not significantly reduce mosquito populations, there are several species of birds, bugs, and other creatures that include mosquitoes in their diet.

Let Mosquito Joe provide a helpful guide on what eats mosquitoes …

What Birds Eat Mosquitoes?  

Mosquitoes have several airborne adversaries including certain birds and their nocturnal winged relatives, bats. Here are a few winged species that feast on these minute menaces:

Purple Martins

Denizens of river and marsh areas, these songbirds can consume hundreds of mosquitoes in a single day.

Barn Swallow

Descending from above in swooping dives, these avian acrobats can snatch up to 60 mosquitoes per hour.

Waterfowl

Ducks and geese residing in marsh and wetlands commonly make easy meals of aquatic mosquito larvae.

Bats

While not of the avian persuasion, these nocturnal mammals are also insectivores that will not turn down a mosquito morsel.

What Animals Eat Mosquitoes?

Mosquitoes also face threats from frogs, turtles, and even fish:

Frogs

While not an integral part of the adult frog diet, the premature tadpole occasionally consumes mosquito larvae.

Turtles

Another aquatic predator, turtles such as the red-eared slider will make an easy meal of mosquito larvae.

Fish

Freshwater species such as bass, bluegill, and the aptly named mosquitofish are not hesitant to gulp down vulnerable mosquito larvae.

What Insects Eat Mosquitoes?

Mosquitoes also experience predation from other insects. Below are a few that consume mosquitoes:

Dragonflies

Though called “mosquito hawks,” adult dragonflies do eat mosquitoes, but most predation occurs when they are in their aquatic phase: dragonfly nymphs will feed on mosquito larvae.

Damselflies

Similar to the dragonfly, the damselfly also feasts on mosquito larvae while in the aquatic nymph stage of their life cycle.

Predacious Mosquitoes

Some mosquitoes will prey on their own kind, most specifically the mosquitoes belonging to genus Toxorhynchites, which are also known as elephant mosquitoes. This occurs in the larvae stage where these predatory mosquitoes will consume other mosquito larvae.

Spiders

Although technically not insects, arachnids will consume mosquitoes that become trapped in their webs.

The answer to the question, “What eats mosquitoes” includes adversaries from birds to bats, frogs to turtles, and even predatory types of their own species, yet the overall impact of natural predators on mosquito populations is negligible.

To take a real stand against the aggravating mosquito and dampen their presence in your yard, seek out the assistance of a mosquito control professional. Contact Mosquito Joe online or call today at 1-855-275-2563 today to reclaim your backyard and make outside fun again!

It’s important to create awareness around the life cycle of mosquitoes, because having a better understanding of the process will help you prevent mosquito breeding in your yard. Did you know that adult female mosquitoes can lay eggs individually or by the hundred all at once? Eggs can hatch within short time periods (48 hours) or endure freezing temperatures and dry conditions for long time periods before eventually hatching. The eggs must be submerged into water in order to hatch, so eliminating all standing water in your yard is vital. 

The mosquito goes through four separate and distinct stages of its life cycle; egg, larvae, pupa and adult. Each of these stages can be easily recognized by its special appearance.

The Life Cycle of a Mosquito

• Stage 1: Eggs- Rafts Floating: Female mosquitoes lay hundreds of eggs every few days during their lifespan, directly on or near water. They can be attached to other eggs and form rafts, such as the case of Culex species while other species, such as Aedes lay their eggs singly. Water is required in order for the eggs to hatch which typically happens within 48 hours (once eggs hatch, larvae emerge).
• Stage 2: Larvae- Rolling All Around: Larvae are referred to as “rollers” because of how they appear while swimming, this is also known as the baby stage. Larvae live in the water and come to the surface to breathe; molting their skin four times (growing larger after each molt). Most larvae have tubes for breathing and hang upside down from the water surface. After undergoing four stages of molting, the larvae become pupae.
• Stage 3: Pupae (non-feeding stage/hardest to control)- Resting Before They Make Their Grand Entrance: The Pupae is considered the teenage stage of the life cycle, and the non-feeding era. Pupa still live in the water and continue to swim around. They are often referred to as “tumblers” because when disturbed, pupae tumble down to the safety of deeper water, and gradually float back to the surface. They are lighter than water so they live at the surface, and must occasionally take oxygen through breathing tubes called, “trumpets.” During this stage, the adult mosquito begins to develop, which can take up to four days dependent upon the temperature of the water.
• Stage 4: Adult- Finally All Grown Up: Adult mosquitoes will rest on the water with two concerns; mating and feeding. Once the body is completely dry and hardened, and the wings have fully opened, they are able to fly. Males locate females by the sound of their wings. Once they mate, males live three to five days and females live considerably longer, upwards of one to two months.

Don’t let mosquitoes setup shop in your backyard, ensure you’re eliminating any standing water, keeping your lawn cut short and shrubs trimmed down. Allow your local Mosquito Joe to be your second line of defense against these pesky nuisances. Mosquito Joe provides mosquito control treatment to residential and commercial customers. Our technicians are trained mosquito control experts dedicated to one thing: getting rid of mosquitoes so you can enjoy being outside again. Take back your yard and give us a call today!