If you want to get rid of mosquitoes, you need to learn more about how they end up on your property in the first place! Understanding the steps to mosquito reproduction can help you learn how to stop them in their tracks. In this blog, we’ll discuss the stages of a mosquito’s life cycle, how they reproduce, and why it’s important to know about their reproduction habits before developing your mosquito control plan.
Egg-Laying Speed of Mosquitos
How fast do mosquitoes multiply? Probably faster than you think! One well-known fact about female mosquitoes is that they get the job done quickly! Most of the time, they will lay their eggs within 48 hours after mating.
Not only do they lay their eggs quickly, but they also lay a lot of them! Most female mosquitoes will lay between 100 and 300 eggs at a time. Over the course of her lifetime, a female mosquito can lay up to 3,000 eggs. That’s a lot of tiny insects to swat away!
Hatching and Growth Rate
Mosquito reproduction isn’t the only thing that’s fast. Their growth rate is pretty quick, too! If the environmental factors are right, most eggs will hatch within 24-48 hours of the mother laying them. It won’t be long before that little egg is larvae swimming around a water source!
Environmental Factors Influencing Mosquito Reproduction
Certain conditions are necessary for mosquitoes to successfully move from the egg phase to the larvae stage. Not only do their eggs need to be laid in or near water, but standing or slow-moving water is also necessary for them to hatch.
Since no mosquito loves cold weather, the water also needs to be warm, ideally between 70°F and 80°F. This is the perfect temperature range for the pesky biters. Other favorable conditions include high humidity and oxygen levels and an undisturbed location. If all of these conditions are just right, the mosquitos will grow much more quickly. That’s why we tend to see more mosquitoes during warm, damp, and humid times of the year or in warmer, wetter climates.
Mosquito Larvae: How Do Mosquitos Reproduce?
To get rid of mosquitoes, you need to understand their life cycle. How fast do mosquitoes breed? The answer is: It varies.
There are four steps to a mosquito’s life cycle:
- Eggs. Female mosquitoes lay hundreds of eggs every few days throughout their adult life. This is why mosquitos need blood so much! They need the energy to lay thousands of eggs! Water is required for all types of mosquitoes to lay their eggs and for those eggs to hatch, which is why you’ll always find eggs in or near water. Although they can lie unhatched through dry or cold periods if the conditions are right and there’s enough warm water, mosquito eggs hatch in about 48 hours.
- Mosquito larvae. At this stage, the mosquito larvae swim around, eating, growing, and molting. Mosquito larvae in water are often called “wigglers” or “rollers” because of the way they move.
- Pupae. After molting four times, mosquito larvae become pupae. They’re hard to kill at this stage since they don’t eat and tend to hide when the water is disturbed. This stage lasts about four days but can vary depending on the temperature of the water.
- Adult. After the pupal stage, the mosquito has grown and developed into an adult mosquito. It rises to the water’s surface and, when ready, flies off to start the cycle again.
What Does Mosquito Larvae Look Like?
Learning how to identify mosquito larvae can help in your efforts to control mosquitoes in your yard. So, what do mosquito larvae look like? They look like tiny, ¼-inch, hairy worms squiggling in the water they hatched in. They’ll often be near the surface of the water and will dive down deeper if the water is disturbed.
This is one of the easiest stages of mosquito development to control. If you eliminate the water they need to survive, you’ll stop the life cycle before the mosquitoes can grow to adulthood.
Controlling Mosquito Breeding: What You Can Do
Before you get nervous about mosquitoes breeding in your backyard, rest assured that there are a few things you can do to make your property less appealing to them:
- Eliminate or empty areas where water can collect. This includes pet bowls, bird baths, children’s toys, watering cans, and swimming pools.
- Clean your gutters. Clogged gutters allow water to collect. Since they’re rarely disturbed, it’s an ideal mosquito breeding ground.
- Prune or cut down overgrown plants. The shady, moist environment created by overgrown plants can create hatching spots for mosquito eggs.
- Using mosquito dunks in ponds or other vessels. These contain Bt, which kills the mosquito larvae after they eat it.
- Call in the professionals for help controlling and maintaining your mosquito population if all else fails.
For a solution that will protect every area of your yard, consider Mosquito Joe’s mosquito-repelling barrier sprays, where our certified technicians will work to eliminate mosquitoes at every stage of their life cycle.
Take Control of Mosquito Breeding in Your Yard
You don’t have to spend your time outside swatting away pesky mosquitos! Now that you know how mosquitos reproduce, you can meet them in the egg stage, where it’s easier to kill them.
However, keeping up the fight can sometimes be overwhelming, especially if you have a large area to cover with many plants and shrubs. If this is the case, it could be easier to call the professionals!
Our Mosquito Joe® services are designed to make even the toughest mosquito control job look easy. Once our experts evaluate your space, they can develop the perfect solution for your mosquito problems. Plus, all of our services are backed by the Neighborly Done Right Promise™ and the Mosquito Joe Satisfaction Guarantee, which means you can rest assured that we’re the right professionals for the job!
Don’t spend all of your time swatting away itchy bites. Request a free estimate from your local Mosquito Joe today!
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and may not be applicable to every situation. You are responsible for determining the proper course of action for your home and property. Mosquito Joe is not responsible for any damages that occur as a result of this blog content or your actions. For the most accurate guidance, contact your local Mosquito Joe location for a comprehensive, on-site assessment.
