MOSQUITOES

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A Mosquito
Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia Public Domain

Mosquitoes are very unpopular insects. Generally they live on a diet of plant sap but when the female is ready to lay she needs a high protein drink of blood before she is able to produce fertile eggs! OUCH!

Some of these species carry malaria, others yellow fever, dengue fever, encephalitis or elephantiases. They are the cause of much fever and death in the world.

Identification of this Household Pest

• A narrow body about 5-10mm long.
• Pointed wings held along its body whilst at rest.
• Two prominent eyes and a tube like proboscis to gather sap.
• Long thin legs.
• Brownish in colour.
• Some have spots on their wings and white bands on their legs.
• This insect makes a scary whirring sound when it is in flight, often in the bedroom at dusk, and then you know you need to get up and go into a hunt and kill mode before this pesky insect attacks you and administers its nasty bite!

Mosquito as a Pest
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Life Cycle

• The female and biting insect of this species feeds on blood to produce fertile eggs
• The eggs are laid in batches of about 50-100 on the surface of water.
• After a few days the eggs hatch and the larvae, also known a wrigglers, are produced.
• The larvae either hang or lie just beneath the surface of the water and feed on minute animal and plant life.
• It has a very short pupal stage lasting for a day or two when they appear comma shaped in the water.
• The adult emerges. If the weather is inclement, they will hibernate in sheltered places, emerging only when mating conditions are suitable.

Keep this household pest out of your House

• To reduce likely breeding sites, remove or empty bird baths, fix tight lids onto water butts and fill in any areas where stagnant pools are prone to form.
• Use ultra violet fly and mosquito killing devices.
• Fit fly screens to the doors and windows.
• Shut the windows when the electric lights are switched on.
• Use citronella candles and electric plug ins.
• Use hanging nets over the beds at night.
• If you do have persistent or serious infestations of of this pest, inform your local health department.

Gnats

The insect we usually refer to as a gnats are a small mosquito that does not bite. It breeds in stagnant water such as a water butt, a bird bath or a marshy area of the garden. These insects often remain still for long areas around windows and if they cause a problem, can easily be squatted with a fly squat or a rolled up newspaper.

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