Mosquitoes can be an annoying, serious problem in man's domain throughout the Panhandle of Texas and they are particularly annoying here in Perryton. They interfere with work and spoil hours of leisure time. Their attacks on farm animals causes loss of weight, decreased milk production and lower cattle prices. 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.
Mosquitoes are insects with long slender bodies, narrow wings with a fringe of scales on the edge of the wing and along the veins, and long, thin legs. The females have firm mouthparts, usually well-adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood. The males cannot suck blood but both sexes feed on nectar of various plants.
The life cycle ( Figure 1) of a mosquito consists of four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult ( Figure 3). 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 water kept in birdbaths, tires and dog watering dishes..
Around the home suitable places for egg-laying are the sides of containers, such as old tin cans or old tires, or in tree holes to await flooding by rain. The eggs of some flood-water mosquitoes may dry out for more than a year and still hatch when flooded.
Regardless of the mosquito species, water is essential for breeding. Mosquito larvae ( Figure 2) are not adapted to life in moving waters. The larvae normally occur in quiet water. Since a tremendous total land area of the Panhandle is subject to flooding and a large amount is made up of playa lakes, mosquitoes breed in large numbers throughout the area. Contrary to popular opinion, mosquitoes do not breed in the heavy undergrowth of weeds, bushes, or shrubs. Although these places provide excellent refuge for adults, they do not provide a suitable habitat for mosquito larvae.
The elongated eggs, about 1/40 inch long, are laid in batches of 50 to 200 and one female may lay several batches. In warm water, the eggs of most species hatch in two or three days. Some eggs require a drying period, remaining dormant for months, they hatch soon after water contacts them.
The larvae or "wigglers" feed on tiny bits of organic matter in the water. Many species breathe air through an elongated air tube which they extend through the water surface. Larvae change into comma-shaped pupae, often called tumblers, in about a week.
The pupae transform into adults in about two days. Male mosquitoes feed on nectar of flowers and do not bite. Female mosquitoes also feed on nectar; however, a blood meal is usually necessary to mature the eggs.
Mosquitoes show considerable variation in their preferred hosts. Some species feed on cattle, horses, or other domestic animals while others prefer man. A few species feed only on cold-blooded animals and some live entirely on nectar or plant juices. Some are active at night and others only during the daytime.
