The very young, the elderly and persons with depressed immune systems are at most risk for acquiring disease from mosquito bites. A single female can lay over 200 eggs at a time, which can survive for more than five years before hatching. All mosquitoes need water to complete their life cycle. Not all species bite humans and only the female bites. The female needs the blood as a protein source to produce her eggs.
Mosquitoes feed on nectar from small flowers and grasses.
Some mosquito species prefer to bite birds, others horses, and some will even bite frogs and turtles. Mosquitoes can fly considerable distances, some up to 30 km. Mosquitoes do not breed in grasses or shrubs although as adults they will often rest in these areas during the day. Mosquitoes are responsible for more human death than any other living creature. Mosquitoes do transmit dog and cat heartworm.