About Mosquito Larvae And How They Breathe
Although mosquitoes are flying insects, you may be surprised to know that they spend the first part of their lives in water. A female mosquito will find a safe spot of water to lay her eggs. Once the eggs hatch, the mosquito larvae will go underwater and live for the next seven to 14 days. While under the water, the larvae will eat algae and tiny organisms to survive. All larvae still need oxygen to survive and will frequently make their way to the surface to breathe in oxygen from a tube called a siphon.
More Mosquito Breeding Spots Means More Mosquito Problems
Female mosquitoes will usually only mate one time in their life. That is all that is needed to produce several hundred eggs. Once a female mosquito has mated, she will spend a good portion of her life looking for a safe place to lay her eggs. She can lay around 100 to 200 eggs at a time, and will usually lay three batches of eggs in her lifetime.
The more water you have on your property, the greater number of mosquitoes you will have around your home. The water does not have to be deep; shallow puddles of water work well for mosquito eggs. Anywhere with standing water will act as a breeding spot, so the more standing water you have, the larger the mosquito population is likely to grow.
All The Places Mosquitoes Like To Lay Eggs On Your Property
A female mosquito will lay her eggs on or near water. Some of the places where you can find mosquito eggs include:
- Ponds
- Flower pots
- Bird baths
- Rain barrels
- Clogged gutters
A female mosquito is more likely to lay her eggs in an area that already has mosquito eggs in it. The reason for this is if a female has already been able to successfully keep her eggs in a certain place, then the next female that comes along will consider it a safe place.
The Best Way To Eliminate All Mosquito Breeding On Your Property
One of the best ways to eliminate mosquitoes from your property is to get rid of all of the breeding spots. To do this, you should:
- Remove all standing water from your yard. This includes emptying rain barrels and your pet's water dishes.
- Remove clutter from your yard. Rainwater can accumulate anywhere. If you have things like children's toys or old tires laying around, make sure there is no way for water to accumulate inside of them.
- Maintain your gutter system. Make sure to clean your gutters out regularly to ensure that they do not become blocked and backed up with excessive amounts of water.
Although prevention methods are helpful, there's no substitute for professional intervention. If you are having problems getting rid of the mosquitoes on your Dunwoody property, you need the help of Tuxedo Mosquito Control. Feel free to contact us today to see all the ways that we can help to eliminate mosquitoes from your yard for good.