Mosquitoes tend to come out as the weather starts to warm up. They have a simple life cycle, flying around, eating, and looking for a mate. What you may not know is that while female mosquitoes live between 42 and 56 days, a male mosquito will only live for 10 days.
The problem is that the female is the one that lays the eggs and the male simply fertilizes her. But, for the female to give the eggs the best possible chance, she needs to feed on human blood. It has all the nutrients her larvae need. That’s why mosquitoes bite humans. But, it’s only the female that bites.
Of course, mosquitoes can carry an array of diseases. That’s why, if you have a lot of them in your home or yard you should call the local exterminators and have the problem dealt with quickly and efficiently.
Your local pest control experts will also help you stop mosquitoes from entering your home again.
The Breeding Cycle
In order to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in your backyard, you need to understand how their breeding cycle works. Mosquitoes live to lay eggs and produce more mosquitoes. That is their only purpose, along with being an essential part of the food chain for many other species.
To breed they need your blood and a place to lay the eggs. Mosquitoes lay eggs in water. Then providing the temperature doesn’t drop and the eggs aren’t damaged, the baby mosquitoes will hatch in just 48 hours.
The just-born larvae will go to the surface of the water to allow them to breathe. These mosquitoes will then stay submerged and live in the water for between 4-14 days. They live off the microorganisms in the water and will molt several times.
They then become pupae for two days and can move around but are still confined to the water. The adult mosquito will then emerge and sit on the surface of the water. This gives their body time to harden and their wings time to dry. Only when this is done can they fly.
Male mosquitoes feed o nectar and plant juices, females feed on the same, plus your blood. The cycle is complete and ready to start again!
In order to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in your backyard, you simply need to eliminate any standing water. This deprives them of a place to put their eggs and they will go elsewhere.
Standing Water
There are several options for standing water. The most obvious is a pet bowl of water or a birdbath. You may also have water trapped in dips in the ground or in various discarded items. It is even possible to have clogged gutters, allowing the water to collect and creating a perfect egg spot.
You need to slowly move around your yard and check everywhere for standing water. If you can eliminate all of it the mosquitoes will no longer visit your yard. You can also break the cycle by regularly disposing of any standing water, at least once a week. This prevents the mosquitoes from becoming adults.