Canadians look forward to summertime all year long. However, if there is one thing that really spoils outdoor fun in the warmer weather, it’s mosquitos. Like many insects, mosquitos become active as the weather warms up, then start feeding on blood. Their itchy bites are miserable and can put you at risk of illnesses or infection from scratching hard enough to break the skin. Mosquito control may be your best line of defence.

While mosquitos can travel several kilometres to find food, they usually stay within a 30-meter radius of their breeding site, i.e., where they emerged from their eggs. Knowing the breeding habits and life cycle can help you prevent them from nesting on your Mississauga property.

Aquatic Insects

A mosquito is vastly different from a whale, but there is one respect in which the two are remarkably similar. Like a whale, a mosquito is an animal that mostly lives in the water but has to come up to the surface periodically to breathe.

Therefore, mosquitos need water in which to make their nests. They prefer standing water to running water, and it doesn’t matter if it is polluted or brackish. In fact, in the early stages of their lives, mosquitos feed on the particulate matter found in the water. This means it is actually helpful to the mosquito if the water isn’t clean and clear.

Mosquitos don’t need a large body of water in which to make nests, either. Wading pools, birdbaths, and even puddles of standing water can all provide sufficient space for mosquitos to make their nests and lay their eggs.

Life Stages

Like most insects, mosquitos go through four life stages:

• Egg
• Larva
• Pupa
• Adult

The first three stages are called water stages because that is where they spend these portions of their lives. Females usually lay their eggs on the surface of the water or where rising water will stimulate hatching. As larvae, mosquitos live in the water and feed on it before changing into pupae. The pupa floats on the surface of the water until it is time for the adult mosquito to emerge. Before it can fly, the adult has to spend a few moments drying out.

It is interesting that the water where a mosquito larva hatches from an egg is called the breeding site because the act of reproduction itself is one of the few in a mosquito’s life, other than feeding on blood, that does not require a water source. Breeding typically occurs very soon after the adult female mosquito emerges from the pupa. It may be before her first meal of blood or shortly thereafter.

Mosquito Prevention

Mosquitos like it where it is hot and humid, and unfortunately, there is not a lot that you can do to prevent these conditions on your property. However, since mosquitos tend to stay close to the body of water where they were hatched to feed, one of the most effective ways of keeping them from nesting on your property is to get rid of any standing water. Any vessel that can contain water, no matter how small, must be emptied and drained. This includes things such as old flower pots, spare tires, children’s toys, and gardening tools such as wheelbarrows or seeders. Clear away dead leaves so that puddles cannot form there, and fill in any holes that could become small standing pools.

Mosquito Control and Pest Removal in Mississauga

Truly Nolen can help you with mosquitos and a wide range of other pests on your property. With our Four Seasons Solution, we can control infestations and prevent them from becoming a bigger problem than they already are. Call our Mississauga team today to reclaim your backyard.