Mosquitoes are a common nuisance. They buzz around during your outdoor activities, leaving behind itchy bug bites. Instead of enjoying your backyard, you must swat away these blood-sucking pests all summer!
The mosquito season seems to extend each year, perhaps making you wonder about their life cycle. How long do mosquitoes live?
While they seem to stick around forever, mosquitoes won’t bother you permanently. Check out our article to learn about the mosquito life cycle and how long these obnoxious pests will hang around.
When Are Mosquitoes Most Active?
Certain seasons are predisposed to encourage more pests. You won’t see as many insects during the winter, while bugs fly around in full force during the summer.
There isn’t an official mosquito season, but these pests crop up around your home as the temperature rises. During the spring, mosquito populations will gradually increase, hitting their peak around June or July.
Most mosquito populations decline during the winter when the insects enter hibernation or die as the weather turns colder.
Mosquitoes prolifically breed during the spring and summer. The warm temperatures and ample rain provide many spots to lay eggs.
Because the warm weather often encourages us to leave our homes for fresh air, mosquitoes will zero in on us for their next meal.
Despite the summer temperatures bringing forth more pests, mosquitoes aren’t often active in the sweltering midday rays. Even bugs need to escape the heat sometimes, too!
Some mosquitoes may still forage during the day, putting a damper on your outdoor plans. In Texas, mosquitoes in the genus Aedes hunt from morning to afternoon, so be sure to apply bug spray before heading out!
As you spend more time outdoors, you may notice an abundance of bug bites on your skin. By the end of the summer, you’re probably tired of being bitten! Their overbearing presence could have you questioning, “How long do mosquitoes live?” because they never seem to go away!
How Long do Mosquitoes Live?
So, how long do mosquitoes live, really? We know they can’t last all year, and some species will perish as the temperatures drop below 60 degrees. Let’s consider a mosquito’s life cycle to understand how long mosquitoes live.
Mosquito Life Cycle
Their life-cycle consists of four distinct phases:
- Egg
- Larva
- Pupa
- Adult
Adult mosquitoes feed on humans and animals to enable reproduction. After acquiring blood, female mosquitoes lay their eggs in water.
If you live near a body of water or have standing water on your property, you may inadvertently live near their breeding grounds.
The eggs then hatch into larvae, remaining in the water until eventually transforming into their pupal form. The pupa won’t feed during this phase and enters a secure casing before emerging as an adult mosquito.
Check out this video to learn more about a mosquito’s life cycle
Female mosquitoes can lay up to 200 eggs at once, typically laying eggs around two to three times and producing hundreds of eggs before dying. Depending on the number of suitable breeding grounds on your property, you could gradually have thousands of mosquitoes in your backyard!
Unfortunately, these eggs can survive in dry conditions for a few months without any water to facilitate their growth. During the winter months, some eggs can even withstand frigid winter weather and endure until the spring.
How Long Do Mosquitoes Live During the Summer?
While a mosquito may quickly complete its life cycle in the right environment, how long do mosquitoes live after they mature?
Male mosquitoes don’t live very long, only staying alive around a week. Like most other insects, the males primarily exist to aid reproduction while the female mosquitoes lay eggs and feed on mammals for blood.
The female mosquitoes can survive around two months, but most last as long as male mosquitoes, especially considering the popularity of mosquito pest control and natural predators.
In areas with typical climates, mosquito populations die down during winter. However, other locations like Florida may struggle with mosquitoes for longer or even throughout the year.
In Texas, mosquitoes typically taper off during the fall, so you should notice fewer pests during September and October.
To eliminate the growing summer population of mosquitoes on your property, you must focus on removing the adult mosquitoes and larva. Eliminating mosquitoes on your own is highly difficult, so you should rely on a pest control company to help out!
Contact NTX Best Pest for Mosquito Pest Control!
Whenever you have mosquitoes, give us a call! NTX Best Pest utilizes In2Care mosquito trapping to get them away from your home. Adult mosquitoes land in our trap, and the water-bound bait coats the insects with a slow-killing fungus and larvicide.
Not only will the fungus kill the mosquito, but it will also transfer insecticide to breeding grounds, eliminating the larvae as they begin to mature. Whenever you have mosquitoes in your yard, let us lend a hand!
Contact us today to learn more!
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