Female mosquitoes suck blood but do not always need blood to lay the first batch of eggs. The eggs may be laid singly or in rafts, deposited in water, on the sides of containers where water will soon cover, or on damp soil where they can hatch when flooded by rainwater or high tides. Common breeding sites for mosquitoes are drainage ditches, ponds, tin cans, old tires and tree holes. The larvae pass through 4 stages in about 7 to 10 days. The pupal stage lasts 2 to 3 days, and the adult emerges from the pupal skin at the water surface.
Mosquitoes can be an annoying, serious problem in man's domain.
They interfere with work and spoil hours of leisure time. Their attacks on farm animals can cause loss of weight and decreased milk production. Some mosquitoes are capable of transmitting diseases such as malaria, yellow fever and dengue to man, encephalitis to man and horses, and heartworm to dogs. Regardless of the mosquito species, water is essential for breeding. Mosquito larvae are not adapted to life in moving waters.