Facts About Mosquitoes
There are currently 47 species identified in Connecticut, 150 in North America and over 3,000 species worldwide. Of the 47 Connecticut species, only 12 are considered pest species to humans and livestock.
In Connecticut, West Nile Virus was found in two species of mosquitoes, Culex pipiens, a common urban mosquito and Aedes vexans, a floodwater mosquito. The Culex pipiens is most often implicated as the vector of the West Nile Virus. It regularly feeds on birds and occasionally on mammals such as humans. This mosquito breeds in stagnant water such as that found in old tires, rain gutters or birdbaths, from late May, early June until the year’s first frost.
Only female mosquitoes feed on or "bite" humans to obtain protein necessary for egg laying. Both male and female mosquitoes feed on flower nectar and plant juices for energy.
Mosquitoes are known to have carried diseases such as West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), Malaria, Yellow Fever and dog heartworm. Mosquitoes do not transmit AIDS.
The mosquito life-cycle
The mosquito life-cycle has four stages -- egg, larva, pupa and adult. Since all mosquitoes spend their larval and pupal stages in water, they can always be found around water.
Mosquitoes are members of the food chain and are eaten by many fish, birds and bats. They are pollinators like bees and butterflies.
Mosquitoes are cold-blooded and do not generally bite in temperatures below 50o F. Some adults enter into hibernation before the first frost, while others die but have winter hardy eggs.
| 
