Mosquito life cycle

Mosquitoes are greatly regarded as the deadliest animal in the world. This is not surprising due to the fact, no insect is more responsible for the loss of as many human lives in the world as mosquitoes. Some of the most dangerous mosquito species in the world are known to harbor and transmit diseases, such as malaria, dengue, and Zika.

As mosquitoes have become the all-year-round problem in Indonesia, then nothing is more important than ensuring the mosquito population is under control on your property.

Therefore, understanding the mosquito life cycle will be the basic essential guide for choosing the most effective way to reduce the number of mosquitoes around the property, including:

• Eliminating mosquito breeding ground to stop mosquitoes from reproducing and increasing in number
• The role of pest control service to kill mosquitoes at all stages of the life cycle before they could develop into adult mosquitoes

Read more on the detail of stages of the mosquito life cycle below, or contact us now for more information about our mosquito control solutions tailored to your needs.

Stages of mosquito life cycle

Mosquitoes are known to have a complex life cycle just like any other parasites. This is because the mosquito life cycle comprises 2 different phases on their cycle both aquatic (egg, larva, and pupa), and terrestrial (adult mosquitoes).

All mosquito species undergo complete metamorphosis in four distinct developmental stages during their life, these include:

1. Eggs
2. Larva
3. Pupa
4. Adult

Eggs

Most mosquitoes require water to develop or begin their cycle. This is why after each blood meal, female mosquitoes will look for the source of water to lay more than a hundred eggs in just a few days.

The way the adult female lays those eggs depends on each mosquito species. The most common species are known to lay the eggs one by one at a time or into a group in a sticky coating in the shape of rafts that float in the water. These eggs will not sink and dry out due to their direct contact with the water.

• Aedes and Anopheles mosquito eggs are laid singly
• Culex mosquito eggs are laid in raft shapes

Generally, it only takes 24 - 48 hours for mosquito eggs to hatch into larvae. However,  the length of time that mosquito eggs will hatch depends on various factors, including water temperature and the type of mosquito.

Larva

Mosquito larvae or also known as “wigglers” are given this name because of the way they swim or wriggle through the water.

They live almost exclusively in aquatic environments and don't have gills that enable them to absorb oxygen directly through the water unless:

• They float near the surface
• Breathing through the extending small tube called the respiratory siphon

Larva feed on any organic matter particle they can ingest in the water. They will molt 4 times, growing larger about 0.5 - 0.75 inches after from the first instar to a fourth instar.

Pupa

The pupa is the resting or non-feeding development stage before emerging as the adult mosquito. Similar to when in the larval stage, mosquito pupa also needs to penetrate the water surface in order to breathe. They breathe through extensions of body parts called respiratory trumpets.

They begin to transform into an adult mosquito form that emerges from the pupal skin within 1 - 4 days depending on the water temperature.

Adult

Once the mosquito pupa completes its development, an adult mosquito emerges. Within 1-2 days after emergence, adult mosquitoes will mate.

After mating, the adult female mosquitoes will seek out a host to obtain a blood meal. The blood meal is required by the females in order to get protein material to develop their eggs. Whereas the adult male mosquitoes do not feed on blood and feed mainly on plant nectar.

How long is a mosquito life cycle?

The mosquito life cycle time from egg to adult usually takes between 8 to 14 days. However, the duration of the mosquito life cycle can be varied and depends on a few factors such as temperature and quality of food sources during the larval stages.

How long is mosquito lifespan?

The mosquito life time or lifespan will depend on several factors, such as species, temperature, humidity, sex, and the presence of natural predators in the environments.

Yet, the average male mosquito lifespan is known to be shorter than the female mosquito lifespan. Male mosquitoes could live about 10 days to a week, whereas female mosquitoes could live about 3 - 4 weeks, but could be longer depending on the species.

The best way to get rid of mosquitoes

Rentokil integrated mosquito management solutions (IMM) use a range of advanced technologies that can protect your home more effectively than home solutions. Our environmentally friendly treatments will control mosquitoes safely at every stage in their lifecycle and continue to protect you throughout the year.

Contact us for expert advice on how to control mosquitoes and for more information on our advanced solutions for protecting your home and family.