Warmer temperatures and longer summers in the continental United States have made it easier for disease-carrying mosquitoes to thrive.
Mosquitoes go through four major stages during their life cycle. The more you know about the life stages of these troublesome pests, the more you can do to protect your family from illnesses like West Nile virus, encephalitis, and Zika.
Stopping Mosquitoes at the Egg Stage
Adult mosquitoes look for still water where they can lay their eggs. Most eggs hatch within 48 hours. Some, however, can sit dormant over the winter. When the temperature rises, the eggs hatch to release larvae.
If you can eliminate standing water from your property, you can reduce the mosquito population significantly. Make sure you treat pool water, change the water in bird baths often, and drain standing water from your yard.
Unfortunately, you can’t do much about your neighbors’ lawns. Even if you take steps to remove all water from your property, you may still get bitten by mosquitoes.
Killing Mosquitoes in the Larva Stage
When mosquito eggs hatch, they enter a larval stage that lets them become larger. During this stage, some mosquitoes must come to the surface to breathe oxygen. Others can access oxygen by attaching to plants in the water.
You can kill mosquitoes in the larval stage by removing water, cleaning dead plants from water, and misting the area with a natural insecticide.
Mosquitoes in the Pupa Stage
When mosquito larvae enter the pupa stage, they become dormant and undergo great physical changes. The process is similar to the pupa stage that butterflies go through. Of course, you probably welcome adult butterflies much more readily than you welcome mosquitoes.
During the pupa stage, mosquitoes don’t eat, which makes them hard to kill with insecticide. You can remove water to get rid of them. Otherwise, the papa will grow into adult mosquitoes.
Eliminating Adult Mosquitoes From Your Yard
Once mosquitoes complete the pupal stage, they emerge from the water to mate and feed on blood. This stage is the only time when mosquitoes become annoying and dangerous.
Wrapping Up Mosquito Life Cycle
Luckily, the adult stage makes mosquitoes vulnerable to systems like MosquitoNix South Florida. MosquitoNix will mist your yard for mosquitos with a non-toxic, plant-based spray that kills adult mosquitoes.
MosquitoNix South Florida uses a refillable tank connected to nozzles located throughout your property to keep all mosquitoes away.
The system sprays your area during dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active. You can also set the nozzles to spray your yard a couple of hours before an outdoor event.
Mosquitoes are vulnerable at all stages of their life cycle. As long as you take the right approach at the right time, you can eliminate them and the diseases they carry.
If you need help in eliminating these pesky biting insects from your yard, our MosquitoNix® Team in Southeast Florida from Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, & Miami are here to help!
