Mosquitoes are so prevalent that they are found all over the globe. There are approximately 170 species of mosquitoes in North America alone.

The types of mosquitoes that are responsible for biting humans are in the genera Anopheles, Culex, and Aedes. They populate themselves by laying eggs in standing water.

Mosquito control is largely a matter of population control. The most effective and efficient method of control is to eliminate all sources of standing, stagnating water. Mosquitoes are not very choosy about what type of water they breed in as long as it doesn't move. Common breeding spots for mosquitoes include old tires, old flower containers, tree holes, bird fountains, garden ponds, plastic litter, old coke cans and in eaves troughs.

The female mosquito instinctively knows where there might be ideal breeding locations where she is capable of laying several hundred eggs at a time on the surface of stagnant water or in an area she knows will soon be wet or flooded. If the conditions dont manifest immediately, that is no problem for her eggs, which can remain in a dehydrated condition for weeks or months until they are damp enough to hatch. So you can see how difficult mosquito control can be.

After hatching, mosquitoes live on the surface of stagnant water for about ten days until they turn into adults. Only about half of the mosquitoes, the female ones, actually bite humans. Female mosquitoes need blood in order to create eggs. In one single feeding on your skin a female mosquito can consume more than its own weight in blood. Male mosquitoes feed primarily on flower nectar.

The only sure way to control mosquitoes is to remove the places where they breed from your environment. This includes old logs or any other type of natural or unnatural vessels where standing water can be held. If you own a birdbath or a pond make sure that they have efficient water pumps that keep the water circulating. Mosquitoes cannot breed in moving water.