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The insect known as the mosquito is somewhat bothersome pest that inhabits tropical regions across the world and in some areas of America. The word mosquito is a Spanish term that means, “Little fly”. Nevertheless, this “little fly” is known to have lived on this plant as a species for over thirty million years. The females of the species actually need the blood of a human to succeed in the process of reproduction. They are also immune to the numerous diseases they carry which can affect humans. Around 700 million people worldwide everywhere are affected and infected by diseases carried by mosquitoes such as West Nile Virus, Dengue Fever, Yellow Fever, Malaria, and a myriad of others. Whether or not the mosquito has a disease, a bite from one of them will leave an instant swell that will itch for a time, while others may have an allergic reaction to them. It is unlikely that all mosquitoes will be destroyed on US soil, although there are government agencies that understand the seriousness of this threat and are always looking for and implementing better ways of controlling them.

After the egg is hatched, the mosquito larva that was inside crawls out into his new home, a pool of stagnant water. While living in this pool it will survive mainly off eating the algae that is present. In appearance they somewhat resemble a worm, and can be a nice treat for many predators out there.

The only defense they can enact to escape from an enemy is to dive underneath the water. Once they move along to the pupa stage, they really start to take the form of a mosquito. After this, they will refrain from eating for a couple of days and after the come out of the water they will be an adult mosquito.

Once the mosquito reaches adulthood, it is well equipped with special technologies to track and locate humans. Within their head are chemical sensors that can detect carbon monoxide and lactic acid up to 100 feet away, which essentially means that if a mammal is breathing then a mosquito can find them. These sensors also allow them to detect sweat and will naturally draw them towards humans. They are also equipped with heat detectors that further aid in zeroing in on their targets, and this proves especially useful for night time feeding. Although their vision is poor they can easily identify moving objects through sight, and when combined with their other hunting traits this pest can be very difficult to avoid. Research also shows that chemical agents within our bodies determine how we are perceived as a meal and helps explain why some are bitten more often than others.

If you wish to gain a hold on the mosquitoes infesting your area, then you should clear out any excess water that might be present since that is a prime place for mosquitoes to thrive and breed. Things like puddles, fountains, pools, and even birdbaths can be the spawning ground of lots of mosquitoes. If mosquitoes cannot find a suitable place to lay their eggs the will abandon the area in search of new suitable ground to hibernate.

There are also a number of pesticides that effectively combat this species; contact a local pest control specialist for more details.

Gary Dorris is a San Rafael pest control professional. His company, Hydrex also provides Vallejo Pest Control.