Wrigglers and pupae are found in permanent or semipermanent standing water, which includes wading pools, bird baths and clogged gutters. Development from egg to adult usually takes 10 to 14 days. Single and multigeneration species occur in Colorado. The key to mosquito control is larval management. Larvae occur in specific areas and can be controlled by modifying the habitat through drainage, or with insecticides applied to larval breeding sites.
Treatments provide control before the biting adults appear and disperse from the breeding sites.
Mosquito control measures must be cost effective and environmentally sound. Consider alternatives before application of conventional chemical insecticides. Habitat Modification Eliminating breeding sites, or habitat modification, is an effective and long-term solution. Sites can be drained or removed. Mosquitoes can breed in important wetlands, so habitat modification may not always be an option.