Now that the summer heat is here, it has been warm long enough to bring in the first batch of mosquitoes. Spending quality family time outdoors gets to be a hassle when everyone is having to layer up their skin with bug spray. But don’t worry, these bugs won’t be around for the entire year! Once the temperate drops below 50 degrees, they go into hibernation.

These pesky little insects need water in order to hatch their eggs, which are why they seem abundant around lakes, rivers, and ponds. Plus, an adult female lays somewhere between 100-400 eggs per birth cycle! The eggs hatch into larvae within 2 or 3 days and feed on microorganisms in the water. How much water do they need to reproduce? Not very much. Here’s a list a of places that mosquitos and larvae are commonly found:

 

  • Neglected Swimming Pools

  • Log Ponds

  • Storm Drains

  • Rice Fields

  • Ditches

  • Tree Holes

  • Irrigated Pastures

  • Snow Pools

  • Ponds

  • Artificial Containers

  • Discarded Car Tires

 

After the larvae stage is complete, the morphing mosquito reaches the pupal stage. Interestingly, the pupa cannot eat. It simply breathes through two tubes on its back until it becomes strong enough to break out of the shell. This process takes several days but when it finally breaks out of the shell, it rests on the surface of the water until it’s ready to fly away. And alas, a mosquito has reached adulthood!