In this article, we’ll explain how long the most popular types of mosquitoes live, their life cycle and how long you can find them in your house.
But before that;
Related: What repels mosquitoes naturally
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How Long Can Mosquitoes Live? The Mosquito Life Cycle
To fully understand how long mosquitoes can live, it is first essential to review their life cycle. Like other insects, mosquitoes complete various life stages. These include an egg, larvae, pupae, and adult stage.
Knowing the different life stages of the mosquito will also help you understand the best way to prevent and remove mosquitoes from your home. For example, pesticides and other remedies work differently on mosquitoes in an egg stage than in a pupae stage.
The life cycle begins when the female mosquito bites a human or an animal. She then feeds on as much of the human or animal’s blood. You are probably familiar with the annoying itch and raised bump of a mosquito bite during long, summer days.
Eggs
A female mosquito will lay her eggs on the water-slick walls of containers holding water. Mosquito eggs are laid right above the waterline. Female mosquitoes may lay one hundred or more eggs simultaneously, making clumps of mosquito eggs look like particles of black dirt.
Mosquito eggs are resilient and can be hatched in tiny containers of water. Therefore, to prevent the hatching of mosquitoes near your household and property, it is vital to remove pools of water of all sizes. Even something as small as a cereal bowl can be a mosquito hatching site.
They can also survive a container with its water dried out for up to eight months. This means these resilient eggs can live through the cold freeze of the winter season. A mosquito egg’s incredible resiliency shows why these insects can be found anywhere on the planet Earth.
There is no exact timetable for when a mosquito egg may hatch. This can occur from days after the female mosquito lays the eggs to several weeks later. The eggs will hatch when they are exposed to and submerged in water.
Larvae
After the mosquito egg is hatched, the mosquito enters a larva stage. The larva is simply the singular form of larvae, which is used when talking about multiple mosquitos in the larvae stage.
This stage produces a young mosquito insect with a slender, segmented body with a round head at the end. A mosquito in the larva stage resembles a tiny caterpillar, with small hairs coming from throughout the length of this mosquito.
A mosquito in the larva stage will live underwater. These mosquitos will also molt several times before the larva stage is complete. Molting is the process of the mosquito shedding its former exoskeleton or skin to reveal a changed layer underneath.
The length of time it takes for a mosquito to enter the larva stage depends on the temperature of the water it is submerged in, the food it has access to, and the type of mosquito it is. Larvae mosquitos will feed on the microorganisms of the water it finds themselves in.
The larva stage is often referred to as a “wriggler” stage. The larva will continue to eat, evolve, and grow until its third molting. Then it officially becomes a pupa or the third stage in the life cycle of a mosquito.
Pupae
Mosquito pupae are very similar to larvae. But pupae have their distinct features to mark the evolution of a mosquito into its final adult form. As larvae, the singular form of pupae is a pupa.
Pupae also live their entire life cycle underwater, like larvae. A pupa is often referred to as the “wriggler” stage of a mosquito’s life. A mosquito will continue to evolve in the pupa stage, but it will no longer feed on the microorganisms around it. This stage lasts two days to a week.
This final underwater stage is the last period before the mosquito will emerge into its final adult form. The pupae shrink in length from the larvae stage, leaving an insect that looks more like a shrimp than a caterpillar. The majority of the pupa’s body is in its large globe shape on one end.
Adults
We most commonly understand a mosquito to look and behave like this life stage. First, an adult mosquito emerges from the pupal skin into a flying insect that lives above water.
This entire life cycle of a mosquito can last four days to as long as a month, depending on the conditions that existed for the mosquito. For example, a drier environment or the egg being laid during the wintertime would result in a much longer lifespan than a mosquito egg placed in summer.
If the emerging adult mosquito is a male, he will live his life feeding on the nectar of flowers to sustain his life and impregnate female mosquitos. However, if a female mosquito emerges from the pupa, she will continue this cycle by feeding on a human or animal and laying eggs of her own.
How Long Do Common Types of Mosquitoes Live for?
Culex Mosquitoes
The culex mosquito lives for seven to 10 days. The culex mosquito is often called a “common house mosquito.” This light brown insect is probably what you think of when you hear the word mosquito. This type prefers to feed on birds but will choose humans or other animals if needed.
This is the type of mosquito you may find near your home or workplace, especially in the United States. However, Culex mosquitoes can also survive in cities, suburbs, and tropical locations. Culex mosquitoes feed on the birds common to human-populated spaces, like pigeons and doves.
Like the other mosquito varieties, we will discuss here. The Culex mosquito can transmit harmful and deadly diseases to humans and animals. For example, the culex mosquito spreads the West Nile virus and other more rare conditions.
Anopheles Mosquitoes
The anopheles mosquito lives for five to 14 days. This type of mosquito is the most notorious, as it is the species that transmit malaria’s fatal disease. In addition, the anopheles mosquito is the only one capable of transmitting a deadly form of malaria to humans.
When anopheles mosquitoes feed on an animal with the malaria parasite, they nurture and multiply the parasite within their body. This allows the mosquito to quickly spread this dangerous disease to the next human or animal they bite.
These mosquitoes live primarily in tropical areas and are often found in sub-Saharan Africa. This type of mosquito is easily identified by its extra set of “palps” or leg-like appendages next to its jaws.
Aedes Mosquitoes
The Aedes mosquito lives for two to four weeks. This type of mosquito is originally from Africa but has now spread to regions worldwide. As a result, these mosquitoes can now be found in as far-reaching places as South America and Australia.
Like the anopheles mosquito, this resilient mosquito is notorious for the diseases it can spread to humans. As a result, it is often referred to as “the yellow fever mosquito.” However, unlike the drab culex mosquito, the Aedes mosquito can be identified by its vibrant white markings throughout.
There are two different types of Aedes mosquitos. The two different varieties are classified by the region where they live and the kind of blood meal they prefer.
Aedes aegypti
In subtropical and tropical locations, the Aedes aegypti mosquito lives almost exclusively near the equator. This mosquito can be found in more temperate climates, but it is rarer. However, these mosquitoes are more common than ever because of the steadily warming environment.
The Aedes aegypti prefers to feed on humans. This means this mosquito must live in cities, suburbs, and other well-populated areas so it can get enough nourishment. As a result, this mosquito is considered the most common mosquito found worldwide.
This mosquito’s preference for humans also means this mosquito can effectively transmit many very dangerous diseases. For example, this mosquito is the primary type of mosquito that infects humans with Zika, chikungunya, dengue fever, and others.
Aedes albopictus
The Aedes albopictus mosquito is often found in tropical areas near the Earth’s equator. However, this insect can survive in cooler climates and has traveled far distances to be found in many places around the globe.
The Aedes albopictus prefers to feed on animals instead of humans. This means this type of mosquito is less likely to spread these same dangerous diseases, like Zika virus and dengue fever, to humans.
How Long Do Mosquitoes Live in a House for?
Why Do You Have Them In Your House?
Mosquitoes like cool, shady places to find shelter. The combination of your home’s dark shelter as well as the existence of a blood meal from the humans or animals in your home makes your home a convenient place for mosquitoes to be.
There are many locations in your home where a mosquito can quickly enter. For example, damaged screens, open doors or windows, garages, and other indoor-outdoor transitional spaces can effortlessly welcome mosquitoes into your home.
Can Mosquitoes Lay Eggs In Your Home?
Mosquitoes lay eggs in pools of water, whether large like a lake or as small as a coffee cup. So if you keep standing collections of water in your home, mosquitoes can easily lay their resilient eggs in your home.
If you live in a consistently warm or humid environment, standing pools of water are even more susceptible to hatching mosquito eggs. A cooler climate can help, but mosquitoes are resilient and can survive long stretches of inhospitable conditions.
How Do You Get Them Out of Your House?
The first step to remove mosquitoes from your home is to discard any pools of standing water where eggs, larvae, or pupae may be living. Next, thoroughly clean these vessels to remove any chance of mosquito eggs hatching within.
If you have adult mosquitoes in your home, there are products on the market to help you remove mosquitoes. Consider sprays or foggers, but be sure to read the directions carefully. Many of these products require you to remove humans and pets before use.
If the problem is more severe or you are concerned about using these products on your own, some professionals can help. For example, exterminators can assist you with mosquito infestations and other pest problems.
Where Do They Usually Hide?
Mosquitoes like to hide in the dark, humid places in your home. So if you’re wondering where the annoying, buzzing sound has gone, consider checking under the sink, inside a closet, or under a piece of furniture to locate a mosquito in your house.
The Indoor Lifespan of a Mosquito
Unfortunately, a mosquito living indoors can live for quite a while. These resilient insects can live from only four days to an entire month. For example, a female mosquito commonly lives for up to three weeks indoors. But a male may only live for six to nine days indoors.
FAQ
How Long Do Mosquitoes Live Without Blood?
A female mosquito is the only mosquito equipped with biting jaws that can suck on blood. As a result, males live their entire, considerably shorter lifespan without blood. Instead, the males survive on nectar until they mate with the female mosquito and die.
Female mosquitoes hibernate in cooler climates to go months without blood. However, when a female mosquito is breeding, she will nourish herself with a blood meal every two to three days.
How Long Do Mosquitoes Live With Blood?
Female mosquitoes can live between a few weeks to several months, depending on the time of year they are laying eggs. In cooler climates, mosquitoes hibernate and live in a dormant state for many months.
How Long Does a Mosquito Live After Biting Someone?
Depending on the type of mosquito, the insect may die soon after biting someone. Mosquito bites and feed on blood to prepare to lay eggs. Different types of mosquitoes die soon after laying eggs, while others can hibernate through the winter and lay their eggs in the spring.
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