Mosquito Facts
Reproduction
The high pitched humming of a mosquito is not just an annoying warning to its victims, it is how males easily locate the females mosquitoes. Each female mosquito may lay eggs as many as 4-5 times during her life span, but before each deposit, she needs a new supply of blood. A female mosquito that has taken a blood meal and is ready to lay eggs is considered “gravid”. Depending on the species, they lay their eggs in rafts on top of water, on the sides of containers, or on soil where water will be after rainfall. Most mosquitoes actually survive overwinter in our area as eggs!
The eggs hatch into larvae, worm-like organisms that develop in water. The larvae mature in about three to seven days, depending on the temperature and species. After this, they enter a dormant pupa stage and later emerge as adult mosquitoes. In their quest for blood, mosquitoes may bite birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals, including people. In general it take a mosquito seven days to complete its life cycle. This is why it is important to dump standing water that may last more than four days.
Blood Meal
A day or so after emerging as an adult, the female mosquito flies off searching for a blood meal. She homes in on body warmth, odor, moisture and the carbon dioxide we exhale. When she bites, the female injects a bit of saliva that slows coagulation so blood flows freely. It's your body's reaction that causes the welt and itch later on. Mosquitoes also transmit heart worms, which can be fatal to dogs. The largest species of mosquito in our area, Toxorhynchites rutilus, do not bite at all as adults. Instead they get all their protein in the larval stage by feeding on other mosquito larva. Not all mosquitoes are bad and some help us to fight the bite!
Mosquito Control Prevention Fact Sheet
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Mosquito Control / Drainage Control
Physical Address
1801 Wolf Trap Road
Yorktown, VA 23692
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 532
Yorktown, VA 23692-0532
Phone: 757-890-3790Fax: 757-890-3794
TDD Phone: 757-890-3621