Mosquitoes

Male mozzies feed on plant nectar and juices and the female feeds on blood. Many carry disease and act as transmitters for malaria, dengue fever and other viruses and parasites.

Life cycle

The life cycle of the mosquito has four stages.

Female mozzies will lay 100-250 eggs at a time. Eggs are laid on the surface of stagnate water and within 2-3 days larva hatches. Larva feeds on algae and dead plants and breaths air through a syphon. Larva are also known as wrigglers and within 8-10 days turns into a pupa. For 1-2 days the pupa, which is shaped like a comma, does not eat before it then emerges as an adult mosquito to lay more eggs. They especially inhabit still water, often in small spaces like tree holes, pot plants, or even tin cans or bird baths.