Mosquitoes are not only pesky, but their ability to spread diseases also makes them the deadliest creature in the animal kingdom.
Knowing how to kill mosquitoes in each stage of their life cycle can help protect you and your loved ones from diseases and parasites.
How Many Life Cycle Stages Do Mosquitoes Have?
A mosquito’s life cycle has four stages. Depending on the stage of life a mosquito is in, you might need a different approach to kill them. (Luckily, our Mosquito Magician all-natural concentrate can kill mosquitoes during any of them.)
Egg Stage
Female mosquitoes can lay several hundred eggs during their lives. More often than not, they lay their eggs just above the waterline and rely on the water level to rise and submerge the eggs.
Mosquitoes don’t need much water to be attracted to lay their eggs. Female mosquitoes tend to lay eggs in items such as a pet’s water bowl, a cup with water in it, a fountain, or any other item or area of your yard or home that collects water.
Mosquito eggs can survive for up to eight months outside of water, even throughout winter in a few Southern states! This is why it’s important to remove any standing water from your yard. Even if there aren’t mosquito eggs in it now, they could be washed in by rain and thrive there until they turn into larvae.
Larval Stage
Mosquitoes can only transform from an egg into larvae after being submerged in water. Because of this, you will only find larvae in standing water.
Most of us have seen mosquito larvae wriggling around in standing water. This is generally when we notice them because they are much larger than eggs and move significantly more than pupae.
Pupal Stage
The pupal stage is the last one before mosquitoes become adults. It only lasts a couple of days, but the transformation they undergo is immense. This is where they turn into full-fledged adult mosquitoes.
During their development, mosquito pupae don’t need to eat but still need to breathe. They do this by clinging to the surface of the water. They are dormant for the most part but will swim down if they feel threatened.
Adult Stage
Mosquitoes can go from egg to adult in less than ten days. During the adult stage of their life cycle, males typically live about a week. On the other hand, females survive about six times longer, with an average lifespan of about six weeks! This is problematic because adult females are the only ones that seek out blood.
How to Kill Mosquitoes Before They Hatch
More often than not, female mosquitoes will lay their eggs just above the water. The eggs get into the water by being washed in by rain or the water level rising enough to submerge them.
If you find mosquito eggs before they reach the water, you can remove them and put them in a container with bleach or apple cider vinegar.
If you don’t come across them until they are in the water, you can pour one of the solutions mentioned above directly into it.
Bleach should be used as a last resort as it can negatively affect creatures and plants in the surrounding ecosystem. That being said, don’t use bleach to kill mosquitoes in places where other animals can interact with it or places where it can drain into other areas.
How to Kill Mosquito Larvae
Mosquito larvae are easy to spot and very vulnerable. As a result, the larva stage of a mosquito’s life cycle is the perfect time to kill them.
The larvae are confined to the water they’re in, so adding certain solutions to it can kill them quickly.
Cooking Oils
You can add cooking oil, like vegetable oil or olive oil, to the water where the larvae are to kill them. It creates an impenetrable layer on the surface that prevents the larvae from surfacing to breathe. Eventually, they will suffocate and die.
Soapy Products
Adding dish soap or shampoo to larvae-containing water is an effective way to kill them. Like cooking oil, it coats the surface and starves the larvae of fresh air. It is also toxic to the larvae because they have yet to develop a protective exoskeleton.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Due to its acidity, apple cider vinegar can be used to effectively kill mosquito larvae. Simply add enough vinegar to the water to make it at least 15% vinegar. It should kill them in about 24 hours.
Remove Them From the Water
Mosquito larvae will die quickly out of the water, so removing them is a quick and effective way to kill them. It is most effective if you do it on a hot, sunny day. You can also dispose of them on dry concrete as long as it’s not supposed to rain within 24 hours.
How to Kill Mosquito Pupae
Since the mosquitoes are still in the water during the pupal stage, you can kill them the same way as larvae.
- Coat the surface with cooking oils
- Add soap or shampoo to the water
- Add apple cider vinegar to the water
- Remove the pupae from the water
How to Kill Adult Mosquitoes
Adult mosquitoes are tricky to kill because they can fly away from danger, but it’s not impossible. Here are the best ways to kill mosquitoes in the last stage of their life cycle.
Fly Swatter
This may seem like low-hanging fruit, but it’s a tried and true way to kill mosquitoes in the adult stage of their life cycle. It’s best used for a few lone mosquitoes, but it works nonetheless.
Natural Mosquito Repellent
Using an effective, natural mosquito repellent keeps mosquitoes away without causing harm to you, your children, or your pets.
Our patented product is all-natural and can kill mosquitoes in every life cycle stage. It is toxic to mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks but is safe for bees, animals, and people — even children.
You can use our Sprinkler Magician products to spray your yard for mosquitoes.
Mosquito Traps
There are many mosquito traps you can use on the market today. They come in all shapes and sizes but work on the same principle: mosquito traps lure mosquitoes in and prevent them from escaping until they die.
Traditional bug zappers don’t work on mosquitoes because mosquitoes aren’t drawn to them without a specific attractant. Luckily, there are some more modern mosquito traps on the market that tend to work well.
For example, this mosquito repellent machine uses a plant-based scent to keep mosquitoes away. However, it only covers about a 15-foot radius, so it’s not a great solution if you want your entire yard to be free of mosquitoes.
The most effective mosquito traps emit scents similar to mammals like CO2 and/or chemicals found in sweat.
While mosquito traps can be effective, they aren’t a long-term solution to keeping mosquitoes at bay. At most, they only cover a small area and won’t be able to treat your entire yard or property for pests.
Kill Mosquitoes in Every Stage of Their Life Cycle With Mosquito Magician
If you’re tired of getting swarmed by mosquitoes when you’re trying to enjoy the outdoors, try Mosquito Magician. It’s safe to use around children and pets while repelling around 98% of mosquitoes.
Take our product quiz to find out which product fits your specific needs.