Mosquito Facts
All mosquitoes need water in which to pass their early life stages. Adult flying mosquitoes frequently rest in grass, shrubbery, or other vegetation, but they never develop there. Different kinds of mosquitoes may be recognized by the type of water in which they lay their eggs. Only female mosquitoes bite. She needs a blood meal to produce eggs. Male mosquitoes feed on plant juices. Some species of mosquitoes will bite at any time of the day, while others prefer to bite after sunset. Mosquitoes are attracted to humans by the carbon dioxide we breathe out, by sweat components, by odors such as perfume, hair spray, deodorant, etc., and by the color of our clothing.
Mosquitoes lay their eggs in four types of water environments:
- Containers. Mosquito eggs are laid on the sides of the container. When the container is filled with rainwater or other means of watering, the eggs hatch. Most of these mosquitoes stay within 100 feet of their breeding site. Typical sites are old tires, bird baths, clogged gutters, flower pots, and buckets.
- Flood waters. Mosquito eggs are laid on moist soil that is flooded by rising streams and rivers. The eggs hatch when the area is flooded. Adult mosquitoes of this type can fly great distances, as far as twenty miles.
- Permanent waters. Mosquito eggs are laid in permanent waters such as ponds and lakes where the eggs are laid directly on the water.
- Temporary water pools. Mosquito eggs are laid in pools of a temporary nature. Typical sites are roadside ditches, canals, ground pools, tire ruts, clogged streams, irrigated lands, etc.
Mosquito Life Cycle
Mosquitoes have four distinct stages of development: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Eggs must be in water to be able to hatch but might be laid either directly on water or in locations subject to periodic flooding. Larvae and pupae are aquatic, but the adults are active, free-flying insects.
The eggs hatch into larvae or wrigglers that go through four growth stages in the water.
Larvae change into pupae or tumblers. Pupae also must develop in water.
Adults emerge and seek vegetation on which to dry. Then, they feed and mate. After mating, the female then flies off in search of a blood meal. The time it takes for a mosquito to go from egg to adult can be as short as 5 days in hot, humid weather. The adult female can live only a few days or as long as a few weeks, depending on the temperature.
If you have questions after reading the vector-borne disease pages:
- Contact your county environmental health department.
- If you have additional questions after contacting your county health department, please e-mail: wnv@dhec.sc.gov.