The females feed primarily on birds. Culiseta melanura is considered the primary enzootic vector of Eastern equine encephalitis , maintaining the virus in wild birds. Culex pipiens Culex pipiens over winters as adult females and deposit their eggs in rafts on the water's surface in the late spring. Larvae are found in waters with high organic content such as roadside ditches and polluted pools in farmyards. Culex pipiens breeds throughout the summer peaking in mid summer and gradually declining until the first frost.
Females feed primarily on birds.
Culex restuans The immature stages of Culex restuans are found in a variety of habitats including roadside ditches , polluted pools, and discarded tires and buckets. Like all species of Culex , they lay their eggs in rafts on the surface of the water. In warm temperatures it takes 7-10 days for immature to develop to the adult stage. Females preferably feed on birds but also, to some extent, on mammals, including man. Adults are morphologically very similar to Culex pipiens and it can be difficult to distinguish between them.