Mosquitoes aren’t all that bad

Posted by Camas Educational Network on Jul 22, 2010 in Blog | 0 comments

How often do you hear people clap and become overjoyed by the presence of mosquitoes? Probably never. Mosquitoes get a bad rap for their nuisance behaviors. Just one high-pitched buzz in the ear and it can make ones neck hair stand. Despite their negative associations of sucking blood, causing allergic reactions, and spreading diseases, they serve an integral role in the ecological world by providing food in their larvae form for aquatic animals such as birds, fish, crabs, and small invertebrates. Additionally, larvae improve water quality by feeding on detritus and other organic matter. Adult mosquitoes are an important food source for insectivorous terrestrial animals and benefit plants by serving as pollinators.

We associate mosquitoes with stagnant pools of water and wet areas during the summer months. Interestingly, each species of mosquito requires varying levels of water temperature, salinity, and oxygen to develop. Female mosquitoes will lay 50-200 eggs every 48-96 hours in these varying conditions for development into an adult after two weeks. The eggs take two days to hatch and the larvae feed for approximately two weeks before turning into a pupa and then its adult form. Perhaps with a little knowledge of the good work mosquitoes are doing, we will think twice before swatting a mosquito. Or not.

Image Source: http://www.leoncountyfl.gov/mosquito/mceduc/mosquitobiology/mosquito_lifecycle.asp