Have you ever wondered about the life cycle of a mosquito? What is it that makes them such an irritating pest? More importantly, why do they breed so quickly that one has to act quickly to prevent a nuisance?
This article will answer these questions and more!
The Life Cycle Of A Mosquito
To fully understand the life cycle of a mosquito, one must first know a little bit about entomology (the study of insects). Mosquito eggs are among the most fascinating of all insect eggs since they are unusual in that they do not need a male mosquito to complete the process of reproduction. Instead, the female mosquito will take one look at a human male and start secreting an ovipositor (a special needle-like structure) to stab the human sperm through his skin and into his bloodstream. The mosquito needs a blood meal to complete the process of ovulation and continue laying eggs. Since the average human female has about a quart of blood (and sometimes more) coursing through her veins at any given moment, a mosquito may need to complete just one breeding cycle in order to produce enough eggs to cause harm. Of course, the number of breeding cycles varies by species.
Why Do They Breed So Quickly?
One of the reasons why mosquitoes breed so quickly has to do with the fact that they are constantly faced with the threat of being eaten by a predator. If a mosquito does not breed now and then, its chances of survival decrease significantly because its egg shells become thin and more likely to break under the constant assault of a hungry bird or other animal. In addition, mosquitoes that feed on human blood have a much higher rate of survival than those that feed on animal blood. Finally, mosquitoes that feed on animal blood have a much shorter lifespan than those that feed on human blood, so the species is better off not becoming established in the first place!
How Important Is It That They Are Annually Eliminated?
Since mosquitoes are such a pain in the butt for humans, it is important that they are eliminated as soon as possible. Unfortunately, this requires a great deal of effort since most people are not inclined to clean their houses of this tiny creature, much less their yards and other outdoor areas where larvae and pupae may be found. However, it is very important to remove these creatures from your life whether you want to or not because they can cause a great deal of damage. This includes transmitting diseases like Zika and chikungunya to humans which can lead to severe complications including neurological disorders and premature birth respectively. In addition, these diseases can be transmitted to pets as well so it is important that they are also kept off your four-legged friends as well.
The Importance Of Identifying Different Species
One of the things that makes mosquitoes such a hassle is the fact that they will bite anyone and everyone and do so without provocation. This makes differentiating one species from another much more difficult because the symptoms can often be the same. However, through careful observation of the mosquitoes’ behaviors and traits, one can often identify which species is responsible for a particular infestation much more easily. In addition to that, knowing which species is responsible for bites both in the summer and winter are valuable pieces of information that can be used to determine what type of control measures should be taken to keep unwanted visitors at a minimum!