Mosquito Larvae In Water: Everything You Need To Know!

You know what is worse than the buzzing of mosquitoes, their bites!

Mosquito bites sting so much that it makes you want to kill all the mosquitoes around you. But how do these mosquitoes grow and how can you get rid of them?

The months of June and July are exciting for us with all the rain. But it also means that during the months of June and July, there are large amounts of standing water.

This water is the perfect place for mosquito larvae. The mosquito larvae need the water and it helps them to grow. Let us find out the relationship between mosquito larvae and water.

After reading about different ways to kill mosquito larvae, also check facts about dragonfly larvae and Insects Larva.

What are mosquito larvae called?

Before we dive into talking about mosquito larvae, let us talk about the lifecycle of mosquitoes. In what stage a mosquito larvae forms can only be understood if the life cycle of mosquitoes is known.

Every mosquito will go through four stages in its life. The first phase is where these species are just eggs. Next comes the larvae followed by the pupae phase. The last phase of the life cycle of mosquitoes is, of course, the adult mosquitoes stage.

After the female mosquitoes receive their blood meal, they lay eggs. The female could lay eggs near the water or directly into the water. These eggs hatch to form the mosquito larva.

The larva hatching time will depend on many factors like the temperature of the water and the type of mosquito species. The larva moves to the pupa stage. The adult mosquitoes emerge from the pupal cases to live their life.

The mosquito eggs turn into adult mosquitoes through these steps. Now let us talk about the mosquito larva in detail. Mosquito larvae are called wriggles.

After the adult female mosquitoes lay eggs in the water, the eggs turn into mosquito larvae. The larvae will look like a worm in appearance. The mosquito larvae are aquatic. mosquito larvae will have a large head and thorax.

The larvae have a narrow worm-like abdomen and they are usually seen just below the surface of the water. From the surface, the larvae are seen breathing air through tubes present in the abdomen of their body. The reason why these mosquito larvae are called wrigglers would be clear now.

The movement of the mosquito larvae is wriggling, thus the name. The main reason that these mosquito larvae come to the surface of the water is to breathe. The female will lay eggs in the water and within a week, the eggs hatch to form mosquito larvae.

These larvae are seen in water bodies, which is why it is also a concern. If you look at stagnant water, you can find these mosquito larvae wriggling. When the stagnant water is disturbed, it will move down from the surface.

How do mosquito larvae get into the water?

Mosquito larvae in water are a common sight. It is often noticed that if you have standing water anywhere in the house, it might be filled with mosquito larvae. The larvae live in the water.

But how do they end up in the water? The simple answer would be from their eggs. Let us elaborate on that simple statement.

The entire mosquito life cycle extends up to a month. When the breeding season comes, the female will feed on a blood meal. The blood meal helps in breeding by providing nutrients for egg production. The females of this species usually breed after the blood food.

The females prefer to lay their eggs near damp or wet soil. That is why you find the eggs of mosquitoes in standing water, ponds, or pools. Depending on the species of mosquitoes, the number of eggs may differ.

Normally one can find around 100-400 eggs. The larva of a mosquito comes out from these eggs. The eggs will hatch in the presence of water.

That is why the female mosquitoes prefer wet areas or water bodies to lay the eggs. The water temperature also plays a crucial role in the hatching time for the mosquito larvae. If the water is too cold, then the development of the larvae stops.

Likewise, if the temperature is too hot, the eggs won't hatch either. The mosquito larvae live in water for some days. It can be anywhere between 4-14 days. It could go longer than this also.

The mosquito larvae also need to eat a lot. They will eat constantly at this stage of their life. Mosquito larvae will eat algae, plankton, fungi, and other microorganisms.

The algae and other microorganisms are found in the water they live in. The tiny fan-like brushes that are seen on their body will help them sort through food particles and find smaller food particles to eat. The mosquito larvae can be food to other mosquito larvae also. It happens to depend on the species of these pests.

Are mosquito larvae in water harmful?

Now that we are aware of the mosquito larvae occupying standing water, let us discuss the consequences. In other words, is this a great mosquito problem?

Are the mosquito larvae in water dangerous? It is no secret that adult mosquitoes are dangerous. They are dangerous and their bites are painful too. The whole buzzing of these flies is enough to make us frustrated.

Mosquitoes prefer standing water for breeding. Mosquitoes in general are considered a great problem for humans. They will bite humans and animals in order to draw blood from their bodies. These flies are dangerous, especially certain species of these flies. Does this mosquito problem extend to the mosquito larvae also?

Thankfully, no. The main reason for the larvae of mosquitoes not being a threat is because they rarely interrupt our daily lives. The larvae occupy water bodies like ponds.

The baby mosquitoes in water are not even harmful. Unlike adult mosquitoes that fly around and sit in our food and water, the larvae remain in the standing water and do not fly. But, that doesn’t mean they are not dangerous.

If the water body where the mosquitoes laid the eggs somehow connects directly to us, the larvae could be a problem. If the animals drink from the water that has larvae, there is no serious threat. It seems like the water is non-toxic for animals.

But we cannot definitely be sure of the effects on humans. These larvae are what turns into vicious mosquitoes later. One bite of these mosquitoes poses serious problems in humans.

Also, if the mosquitoes occupy areas like pools where we go through, it is better to get rid of them. In a way, it is better to be careful than to be sorry.

Even though no serious threat has been detected from the larvae of mosquitoes, it is important to note that allowing these mosquito larvae to grow into adults is the biggest mistake that we could make.

In order to control the growth of the larvae in a still water body like a pond, you can simply add some oil to the surface. This will form a protective layer along the surface, cutting off the supply of food and air to the larvae and thereby killing them.

Another simple method is to just now allow rainwater or freshwater to stand still in any abandoned object.

What are the best ways to get rid of mosquito larvae in water?

Ok, the fact is clear that it is important to get rid of mosquito larvae in water. Nothing good can come out of the larvae in the water body around us.

Whether it is the fountain or old tires laying around, we need to kill the mosquito larvae before it's too late. What are some of the ways to kill the mosquito larvae and how can we control the spread of these flies?

There are various ways to get rid of mosquito larvae. The first and obvious one is to dump it.

If the larva is in the standing water of some objects, dump the water out of it. Another method is to bleach the area. But it is best not to bleach to kill the mosquito larvae because this method can be toxic to the plants in the area.

It will kill the mosquito larvae for sure, but it can also cause serious harm to the environment. If it is an area where other fish, animals, and plants are found, for example, areas like ponds, then it is best not to choose this method.

There are also natural ways to kill mosquito larvae. Some famous natural methods are dish soap, apple cider vinegar, and oil.

In the case of dish soap, a single drop of soap water is enough to treat a gallon of water. depending on how many gallons of water is in the pond or other water body, the dish soap can be used.

The dish soap will block the breathing tube of the mosquito larvae. But using this in ponds can harm the fish in the pond.

Apple cider vinegar is also used to kill mosquito larvae. But the downside of using apple cider vinegar is that it takes a lot of time to work.

Using oil is also a great way to kill mosquito larvae. There are different types of oils that can be used for this. Cinnamon oil is the most common one.

Cinnamon oil is a good choice because it is environmentally friendly. Cinnamon oil will kill both the larvae and the eggs. cinnamon oil is not toxic to humans, but for the fish in the pond, this may not be a great choice.

Olive oil is also used to control the larvae. The way by which the oil will control and kill the larvae is by blocking their breathing tubes. If none of these methods works, then you can just call an exterminator and get rid of the larvae easily.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for mosquito larvae in water then why not take a look at cockroach larvae, or mosquito facts.