Fly Control 101: Mosquitoes

If you've been outside, then I’m sure you’ve been bitten by a mosquito a time or a dozen times. These pesky insects not only cause skin irritation but spread serious diseases and viruses. Understanding their habits could help prevent bites and help in reducing the number around you, your animals and your property. According to the EPA there are around 200 different species of mosquitoes in the US. Each has different habitats and behaviors but all share the same life cycle. Understand these and you can select the right pesticide to prevent them.

[caption id="attachment_886" align="alignright" width="300"] lifecycle-EPA Mosquito Life Cycle
Source: EPA[/caption]

Life Cycle

Egg – Hatched when exposed to water
Larva – Lives in water, will molt many times, most species surface to breathe air (About 4 Days)
Pupa – Stage just before emerging as adult (About 3 Days)
Adult – Flies after emerging and after its body parts have hardened. Females on average can live several weeks; males typically live less than a week.

Common Places Mosquitoes Lay Eggs

Bodies of water (ponds, lakes, streams) – Less common due to being eaten by predators
Standing water (marshes, swamps, clogged ditches, pools, puddles) – High breeding grounds
Other sites (tree holes, old tires, buckets, toys, potted plant trays, saucers, plastic covers or tarps, places as small as bottle caps)

[caption id="attachment_885" align="alignright" width="300"] Aedes_aegypti_feeding Aedes aegypti
Source: Wikimedia /
Muhammad Mahdi Karim[/caption]

Fun Facts

Only female mosquitoes bite and feed on other animals. Males feed on flower nectar.
Larvae are such effective filter feeders that they can clean polluted water.
Mosquitoes fly at speeds between 1 and 1.5 miles per hour.

Tips to Prevent Mosquitos

Remove Habitats

Eliminate standing water to prevent breeding or egg laying.
Keep swimming pools treated and circulating.

Pesticides

Control larvae using the appropriate methods for the habitat.
Control adults using insecticides.

Avoid Bites

Reduce skin exposure by wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and socks.
Not the trendiest but you can tuck shirts into pants, pants into socks. This covers gaps of skin exposure.
Replace outdoor lights with yellow "bug" lights, which tend to attract fewer mosquitoes.
Use the right insect repellant and follow label directions.

Durvet offers a wide variety of products to control, prevent, and kill mosquitoes. In addition, Durvet carries 3M’s full UltraThon line of insecticides with DEET.

Durvet Products to help in your Mosquito Reduction Strategy