The Life Cycle of a Mosquito

How long do you have until there is another adult female mosquito looking for a meal? Just like any creation on this planet, we all have life cycles and an ideal environment to thrive in. It’s sometimes hard to believe that mosquitoes have a purpose, but knowledge of their life cycle aids in discovering their habits in order to fight the bite.

Mosquitoes need warm weather (preferably temperatures of at least 50 degrees F or higher), a drop of water within a container or still body of water, blood, and flower nectar to breed a healthy pest. Once an egg has hatched, it becomes a full adult within 8 to 10 days.

The Beginning Life Stage of a Mosquito

An adult female mosquito mates with a male once in her life time. She then stores the sperm for the duration of her life, which is up to 100 days. Within a single feeding, a female has the ability to lay up to 200 eggs or more every 7 days, according to How Mosquitoes Do It. Once this batch is within a container, it can survive without water up to 8 months. There are 2 life cycle stages a mosquito goes through once submerged in water: larva and pupa.

The Water Stages of a Mosquito

Mosquito eggs can easily be mistaken for black dirt stuck to the side of a container and overlooked. But once the eggs are submerged in water, the life cycle begins. The next life stage of a mosquito is the larva; they remain in this state for 5 days. After molting three times, the larva becomes a pupae. Mosquitoes are pupae for up to 4 days. It is within these few days that they develop into adult mosquitoes and emerge out of the pupal skin and to the surface.

How Long Do Adult Mosquitoes Live?

Once mosquitoes have emerged from the water, they remain on the surface of the water for a short period of time to dry off their wings and allow their body to harden. In a couple of days, mosquitoes are ready to breed and feed and start the cycle once again. Unfortunately for males, they only live for a week; meanwhile, the females live up to 100 days.

Read one of our previous blogs titled "Enemy of my Enemy Is My Friend: Pest Predators" to gain knowledge on how to guard your yard against mosquitoes. There is no need for you to be a part of their life cycle while you enjoy your yard, so call today for a free estimate and end the mosquito life cycle on your property.