Culex Mosquitoes
Size: Depends on density of larval population and food supply. The average size is about one-eighth of an inch to three-fourths of an inch.
Colour: Pale brown with white bands running across the abdomen on certain species.
Behaviour: When a food source is lacking, mosquitoes will travel up to 14 miles away from their water source for a blood meal. Mosquitoes are most active just after dusk.
Culex mosquito larvae breed in highly polluted, standing water that remains fairly calm and undisturbed. Larvae may be found along the edges of a pond or a ditch, but they will not be found in a quick-running stream or creek. As a rule of thumb, any water that stands for at least seven days can breed mosquitoes.
Often, mosquito outbreaks occur within two weeks of heavy rainfall where ditches, puddles and other low-lying areas fill-up with water. Culex mosquitoes may be found breeding in clogged gutters, cisterns, storm drains and other sources of water that are high in organic content.
Preventing mosquitoes from breeding is the first step of mosquito control. Mosquitoes breed in standing water. To eliminate standing water around your premises, you should:
- Empty and refill birdbaths at least once per week.
- Drill holes in the bottom of tire swings to prevent rainwater from accumulating.
- Avoid using barrels or other containers to capture rainwater unless the container is emptied often.
- Examine gutters regularly. Conditions, such as debris or loose guttering should be corrected.
- Fill in accessible tree holes with a material that will not harm the tree. Check with a local nursery for advice.
- Use soil to fill in low areas in lawns and landscaped areas that allow rainwater to collect and stand for more than seven days.
- Install an agitator in garden ponds used in landscaping or buy fish that eat mosquito larvae.
Mosquitoes pose a greater threat to human health and existence than any other animal. Culex species is known to be a nuisance pest for mankind. It transmits diseases like encephalitis, which kill and debilitate millions of humans worldwide despite modern medical advances.
Aedes Mosquitoes
Size: Aedes mosquitoes are about 1/4-inch long.
Colour: This mosquito has a black body with silvery-white bands on their legs and thorax.
Behaviour: These mosquitoes pass through four life stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. The larvae turn into adults in as little as two weeks under ideal conditions. An adult Aedes mosquito lives about three weeks. These mosquitoes are well known as day biters as the female Aedes mosquito bites in the daytime, unlike many other mosquitoes which prefer to bite at night.
Aedes lay their eggs in moist areas just above the water’s surface. You’ll find the eggs on the side of containers such as flower pots, birdbaths, tires, buckets, animal water dishes and pot plants plates. Female mosquitoes also lay eggs in tree holes or plants that have collected water. One Aedes mosquito can lay up to 500 eggs in her lifetime. Adults don’t fly very far, less than 200 meters, so they’re usually found near their breeding area.
Long-term mosquito control can best be achieved using a pest management professional.
In the meantime, take these steps to protect yourself from these annoying pests:
- Eliminate standing water and remove water-filled containers.
- Avoid storing water over a week; regularly empty the containers.
- Clean your gutters, birdbaths at least once a week.
- Limit outdoor activities in the early morning and late afternoon, when Aedes mosquitoes are most active.
- Wear long sleeves, long pants, light-coloured clothing and insect repellent.
Mosquitoes pose a greater threat to human health and existence than any other animal. They are known to transmit many important diseases like yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya and zika virus, which kill and debilitate millions of humans worldwide despite modern medical advances.
Anopheles Mosquitoes
Size: Depends on the species. Average size is about one-eighth of an inch to three-fourths of an inch.
Colour: They have a variable body colour that ranges from light brown to grey with pale spots of yellow, white or cream scales and dark areas on their wings. Anopheles quadrilaterals have dark scales on the wings with patches of scales forming four darker spots on the wing.
Behaviour: An adult female Anopheles mosquito can live about four weeks. Anopheline adults rest with their abdomens positioned at a discrete (45°) angle to the surface, whereas other species keep their bodies parallel to the surface, which makes them easy to identify when sitting on the skin.
Anopheles mosquitoes breed in natural water collections (clear water). Therefore, breeding increases dramatically in the rainy season. Also wells, ponds, water tanks, paddy fields, mangrove swamps, grassy ditches, edges of streams & rivers etc. act as breeding grounds. Construction sites provide ample breeding places for the mosquito – water on the concrete slabs (used for curing), water collected in tanks, water collected in and around the construction site owing to blockage of water drains – all these help breeding.
Long-term mosquito control can best be achieved using a pest management professional.
In the meantime, take these steps to protect yourself from these annoying pests:
- Eliminate standing water.
- Limit outdoor activities in the dawn and dusk hours
- Wear long sleeves, long pants, light-coloured clothing and insect repellent.
Mosquitoes pose a greater threat to human health and existence than any other animal. They are known to transmit diseases like malaria, which kill and debilitate millions of humans worldwide despite modern medical advances.
