There are over 3,000 mosquito species in the world, and 176 in North America. Of these species, many will be drawn to the home, and most of them are capable of spreading diseases, with different species spreading different types of diseases. Let’s take a look at some of the most common mosquito species in home infestations.
Yellow fever mosquito
The yellow fever mosquito is part of the Aedes species, which is known to spread the disease yellow fever. The females of this species will lay their eggs in small bodies of water, and the hatching of the eggs is accelerated during the rainier periods of the year. This mosquito is declining in population however, due to competition from the Asian tiger mosquito.
Anopheles mosquito
These mosquitoes are the primary spreaders of malaria, which is why they are sometimes referred to as malaria mosquitoes. They are suited to live in almost any habitat on earth, and they can rapidly grow in numbers once they invade an area, because the female anopheles can lay up to thousands of eggs over their lifetimes.
Asian tiger mosquito
The Asian tiger mosquito is very similar to the yellow fever mosquito, which is why the two species are competing with each other. However, this species has an advantage over most mosquitoes – the females will also bite and feed during the day time. In terms of diseases and viruses, this species is known to spread dengue fever, the Cache Valley virus, and equine encephalitis.
House mosquito
The house mosquito is the most common mosquito species in the US. It belongs to the Culex species group and it is attracted to polluted standing water. A female house mosquito can lay up to 400 eggs at once, and it usually takes about two weeks for the eggs to hatch. This species can also transmit several diseases to people.
Getting rid of mosquitoes
Getting rid of mosquitoes involves two steps: destroying their breeding grounds and then denying them access to certain areas of the property. When you work with a pest control pro, these are the two steps that will be taken in order to ensure that the mosquito population on your property is lowered, and that the remaining mosquitoes do not bother you. Contact us today for more information about mosquito control, or to set up an appointment for a mosquito control procedure.
