How Long Do Mosquitoes Live [Interesting Findings]

Do you often hear that dreaded buzzing sound when you are in your yard?

Are you interested in learning about how long mosquitoes live? Well, then, you’ll be pleased to know the short answer is the mosquito species do not live for very long!

In this article, we will be looking into the life cycle of the mosquito, what mosquitoes eat (it’s not just blood), and how long mosquitoes live.

Let’s get started!

Some insects make little to no noise before biting a human. That can’t be said for mosquitoes; both males and females buzz. I’m sure you’ve heard that annoying high-pitched buzz of mosquitoes flying by your head. I would imagine that by just reading this, you’ll be able to relate to this sound. 

Mosquitoes are annoying, but their bites are equally annoying and often result in an itchy nightmare. 

That’s why people spend much time researching ways to keep mosquitoes away from their yards.

When you’re trying to eliminate any pest, it often helps to know some background information about it, such as its lifespan, life cycle, and habitat.

Where do Mosquitoes live? 

Mosquitoes like wet areas, especially stagnant water, to lay their eggs. If it has rained recently and you’ve got plenty of water-logged areas in your yard, this is a perfect breeding ground and place where mosquitoes live.

Start to think along the lines of any areas which allow water to build up, a swimming pool in your yard that hasn’t been cleaned in some time, empty plant pots that collect water, barrels or BBQs that haven’t been used in years; birdbaths that haven’t been cleaned in a while. All of these areas will attract mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes don’t like running water. It must be standing water. Their eggs and larva would not survive. It also causes problems with the growth of one of their main food sources: algae. 

The Mosquito Life Cycle

Mosquitoes pass through four stages in their life cycle: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The first three of these stages are in the water. The mosquito’s lifespan depends on whether the mosquito is male or female.

How many days does a mosquito live: Male mosquitos have an average lifespan of ten days, and a female mosquito’s life span can be up to fifty days.

First stage: Mosquito Eggs

Before laying eggs, a female mosquito must suck blood. It can be human blood or a blood meal from a dog. This allows the eggs to survive and develop fully. Only female mosquitoes bite a human or animal. 

Once the female mosquito has found a blood meal, she will then look to lay eggs in standing water where water is stagnant. Different mosquito species lay their eggs in certain ways. Some species lay eggs singly or in layers of eggs. Rapid reproduction keeps mosquito populations high.

These mosquito eggs may hatch after a few days, but fully developed larvae may stay within the eggs for up to a year, depending on conditions. It can take a few days, up to four weeks, for a mosquito to mature from an egg to an adult mosquito.

Second stage: Mosquito Larvae

Once the mosquito eggs hatch, they are known as larvae. The larval stage can take up to fourteen days while they develop. And a few more in the pupal case. Mosquito larvae, otherwise known as wigglers, live within the water. 

These larvae are filter feeders: they ingest microscopic bacteria by vibrating their mouth brushes, collecting matter and small organisms from the water. 

Third stage: Mosquito pupae

Mosquito pupae are normally quite active and are often called “tumblers” due to their speedy tumbling movement. Mosquito pupae float toward the surface of the water, where they hang upside down near the water’s surface and eat organic matter. They are able to breathe through a siphon tube. 

Fourth stage: Adult Mosquitos 

The final stage of the mosquito life cycle is the adult mosquito stage. Most species of mosquitoes go from an egg to an adult in around five days if not eaten by predators, but it can take up to forty. 

Adult mosquitoes are tiny flying insects with a small head, two antennae, a proboscis, two large eyes, a thorax, a pair of wings, and six legs. 

Adult mosquitoes hatch out of the pupa with two main things on their agenda: they want to breed and feed. 

Adults tend to mate a few days after transforming into an adult. The male mosquitoes form a large mating swarm, normally at dusk, and the female mosquitoes fly into the swarms to mate.

Females can lay up to 200 eggs. 

Mosquito Food sources

Male mosquitoes

Males feed and survive on sugary fluids and nectar and do not feed on blood. So when you hear that buzz around your head followed swiftly by a bite, that’ll be a female mosquito draining your blood.

Female mosquitoes begin hunting when the sun goes down, searching for warm-blooded hosts such as humans, dogs, cats, and wildlife. 

Female mosquitoes bite because of lactic acid from our sweat combined with carbon dioxide, which we exhale, making a delicious aroma that attracts the mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes are capable of picking up our scent from up to 100 feet away. They also can sense our moving and our body heat, allowing them to hone in on their target.

Summary

We discussed ‘How long do mosquitoes live.’ Female mosquitoes can live up to a month, whereas male mosquitos live a much shorter life. 

Mosquito control and prevention tip: To keep pesky mosquitoes out of your garden, remove any stagnant water (think along the lines of swimming pool covers, clogged gutters, and plant pots). These are the ideal places that a mosquito problem will seek out to lay its eggs. Don’t forget your mosquito repellent!

Other Mosquito Guides

We have several other in-depth mosquito control-related pest guides that are able to help control your pest problem. Please take a look.