Mosquitoes are one of the most common pests, and yet they remain an annoying mystery to many. If you know what to look for, they’re not hard to find (and get rid of) at each stage their life cycle.
There are four stages in the mosquito life cycle to reach maturity.
Life cycle
Knowing the different stages of a mosquito’s life will help you prevent mosquitoes around your home.
The life cycle typically takes up two weeks, but depending on conditions, it can range from 4 days to as long as a month. A few days after a storm, there will be a noticeable increase in the mosquito population.
Consistent mosquito control is the only way to effectively mitigate the population.
- EGGS – Females lay their eggs in water which hatch in 1 to 3 days.
- LARVA – The emerging larvae will go through 4 molts which can last for 7 days to several weeks.
- PUPA – The pupal stage takes 2 to 4 days but can take up to a few weeks. During the 4th molt, the pupal skin splits and the adult emerges.
- ADULTS – Adult females require a blood meal to produce eggs while males feed on plant nectar. They can feed on multiple hosts, including (but not limited to) humans and pets. Females live 1 to 2 months during warm weather months and as long as 6 months as they overwinter. Males live for 6 to 7 days.
The first three stages occur in water, but the adult is an active flying insect.
Effective mosquito control
In order for mosquito control efforts to be effective, treatment must be targeted at all life stages.
Targeting developing mosquitoes
Mosquito eggs, larva, and pupa are found in exclusively in standing water, so it’s important to identify potential breeding grounds and eliminate them.
Common areas include:
- children’s toys
- old tires
- bird baths
- wheelbarrows
- wood piles
- ponds
- kiddie pools
- buckets
- leaf piles
- saucers under potted plants
- tree holes
- flower pots
In areas where you can’t dispose of the standing water, such as in drains and along the curb, we treat these areas with granulated larvicide.
Targeting adult mosquitoes
Preventing mosquitoes from hatching is the easiest way to control the population in your yard, but for many, swatting away at adult mosquitoes seems to be impossible to avoid. Especially if you live in a hot climate with high humidity, mosquito season can be unbearable.
For adult mosquitoes buzzing around your BBQ, there are several things you can do to get rid of them.
Repellants
There are a ton of “solutions” on the market that claim to repel mosquitoes but the truth is, most are only mildly effective at best. Citronella candles, deet stickers or bracelets, bug spray, tiki torches, bug zappers, certain plants (lavender, eucalyptus, lemon grass, peppermint), etc. are all remedies that tend to work very temporarily and with a small radius. Generally, they’re not very convenient to use (aren’t the kids sticky enough already??) and have unpleasant odors. They may reduce the number of mosquitoes you see, but you’ll still be smacking them off your kid’s arms and legs.
Pesticides
Instead of trying to simply shoo them away, get rid of them all together.
A yard fog is still a temporary solution a very effective and affordable way to get rid of your mosquito population. The treatment is applied using a backpack fogger and lasts 3-4 weeks.
For permanent mosquito control, we recommend installing a mosquito misting system, which mists a few times each day when the insects are most active (dawn & dusk). The No More Mosquito Misting System consists of a machine unit that is connected to a series of nozzles that are installed along the perimeter of your yard. The chemical (pyrethrin) used in the misting system is a knockdown agent, and works by affecting the insect’s nervous system, leading to quick paralysis and ultimately their death.
How to get a mosquito misting system
If you’re in the Houston area, we offer totally free, no obligation quotes. We’ll come out to take a look at your property and discuss which treatment options would be most effective. We have a variety of options to suit all environments and all budgets.
If you’re looking to install your own mosquito misting system, we’re happy to walk you through the design process before ordering to ensure your yard will have adequate coverage for the most effective mosquito control.
Just give us a call at 346-209-6604 – we’d love to help!