August 10, 2022 EDUARDO VALENCIA

How Long Do Mosquitoes Live? And What’s The Best Way To Keep Them Out Of Your Home? Find Out Here

If you’re wondering how long the mosquito that kept buzzing in your ear all night is going to live, you’re in the right place.

Mosquito season is peaking, and that means you’ve probably seen more of them in your home lately.

But how concerned should you be?

In this post I’ll break down a question I get asked ALL the time: ‘How long do mosquitoes live?’ Then I’ll share with you the top 5 ways to eliminate them from your home.

Don’t let pesky mosquitoes ruin your summer! There are some easy methods you can use to take back the season.

Table of Contents

How Long Do Mosquitoes Live?

The Mosquito Life Cycle

Egg Stage

Larval Stage

Pupa Stage

Adult Stage

How Long Do Mosquitoes Live In Your Home?

Counting Down the Top 5 Ways to Rid Your Home of Mosquitoes

5. Get some plants that are naturally mosquito-repellent

4. Keep sliced lemons and cloves around the house

3. Stop them from reproducing

2. Keep them from entering your home

1. BuzzBGone Zap Portable Mosquito Zapper

How Long Do Mosquitoes Live?

You may have heard one of your “expert” friends saying that mosquitoes only live around 24 hours. Unfortunately, this isn’t true.

The short answer to how long mosquitoes live is around 2 to 3 weeks.

But it can be a little more complicated than that (see this article for more information, for example).

Some species of mosquitoes (like the common house mosquito in North America) can live upwards of 60 days!

Environment plays a huge role in the lifespan of a mosquito, too. Things like temperature, humidity, food availability, and, of course, premature death all affect how long these irritating insects will live.

And remember, while these insects may die if you smack them when you feel a bite, there's no biological or anatomical reason they would die after feeding.

In fact, these nuisance insects are capable of biting multiple times in a night. They'll keep going until they're full!

Picture of Wolfgang Hasselmann in Unsplash

The Mosquito Life Cycle

All mosquito species go through 4 stages during their life cycle:

Egg
Larva
Pupa
Adult

The first 3 stages occur in water, but the 4th Adult stage is how we most often encounter them.

You may not know this but it’s actually only female mosquitoes that bite and feed off blood. Male mosquitoes typically feed on flower nectar and not human blood.

Egg Stage

After feeding on some blood, female mosquitoes lay eggs directly on or near water, soil or at the base of some plants in places that may fill with water. The eggs can survive dry conditions for a few months.

Larval Stage

The eggs hatch in water and mosquito larvae emerge. The length of time to hatch depends on water temperature, food and the type of mosquito.

Pupa Stage

The mosquito larvae live in the water, feed and develop into the third stage of the life cycle called a pupa. The pupa lives in the water but doesn’t feed.

Adult Stage

Finally, adult mosquitoes emerge from the pupal case after two days to a week in the pupal stage.

The life cycle typically takes up to two weeks, but depending on conditions, it can range from 4 days to as long as a month.

Adult mosquitoes emerge onto the water's surface and fly away, ready to annoy the heck out of us!

Picture of Pixabay

How Long Do Mosquitoes Live In Your Home?

Remember that mosquito that was buzzing your ear all night?

If you left it alone, how long could it survive inside your home?

While mosquitoes that manage to make it to adulthood outdoors survive for an average of 2 to 3 weeks, the average mosquito can survive for up to a month indoors.

Mosquitoes LOVE an indoor environment, as they’re protected from a lot of the outdoor predators that cut their lives short.

Your home has plenty of perfectly dark, humid places for mosquitoes to rest (e.g., under the sink, closets, garages, laundry rooms). There’s also plenty of food and water sources that can be found in the average home (like houseplants, kitchens, bathrooms, and garages).

And if it happens to be a female mosquito, then watch out! Female mosquitoes can lay up to 300 eggs at once!

Picture of Jimmy Chan

Counting Down The Top 5 Ways To Rid Your Home Of Mosquitoes

#5. Get some plants that are naturally mosquito-repellent

One of the easiest ways to reduce mosquitoes around the home is simply by getting some plants that naturally repel them.

Some indoor plants you can get that repel mosquitoes are: lavender, marigolds, rosemary, lemongrass, citronella, mint, and catmint.

For a bit more on these kinds of plants, check out this informative post I saw.

And what’s really great is these plants tend to be a little smaller so they’re great for literally anywhere.

Picture of Joyce Toh

#4. Keep sliced lemons and cloves around the house

You may not have heard about this solution before but a lot of people swear by it.

Mosquitoes HATE the smell of cloves and also of anything that smells citrus-y.

Just slice a lemon in two and push some cloves into the halves and enjoy a 100% natural way to keep mosquitoes at bay.

Picture: Amitha A R Unsplash

#3. Stop them from reproducing

Mosquitoes love laying eggs in standing water so if you notice pooled water from your air conditioner or in your garden or wherever, this will be a problem.

Make sure your home and property is free from standing water to control mosquito breeding (double-check those drains around your home, too).

It’s also a good idea to fill in your ditches with dirt so there are fewer places around your home for these bloodthirsty insects to multiply.

#2. Stop them from entering your home

It’s common sense sure, but how many of us spend time actually doing this? I know I don’t spend nearly enough time preparing for mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes are more active during dusk and dawn so these are the times you’re really going to want to be vigilant about keeping these uninvited pests out.

Especially considering that if they get in, they’ll probably annoy you all night buzzing around your ear!

So what can you do?

Maybe the most effective thing is to buy some mosquito door strips and block off doors and windows so they can’t get in.

Now if you’ve already tried these methods and still can’t get rid of mosquitoes, I’ve left the best for last!

And it’s not just me saying this. This next product is far and away the most effective mosquito relief you can get.

It worked wonders for me and I know it will do the same for you.

#1. BuzzBGone Zap Portable Mosquito Zapper

You’ve probably already noticed ads for portable mosquito zappers.

But if you’ve ever used one yourself, you’ve probably been more than disappointed.

These zappers promise so much but deliver so little!

Well, until BuzzBGone Zap entered the picture.

Rest assured that if mosquitoes are a problem in your house, BuzzBGone mosquito trap is the solution.

So what makes BuzzBGone Zap so great?

BuzzBGone Zap Is the Ultimate Mosquito Zapper

BuzzBGone Zap is a powerful zapper that uses effective LED lights to lure mosquitoes in and an electric coil to zap them, DEAD!

BuzzBGone Zap quickly eliminates irritating mosquitoes so you can enjoy your summer in bite-free bliss.

Lightweight, Portable Design

Designed with a handy hanging loop, you can set BuzzBGone Zap upright or hang it above you.

Eliminate mosquitoes:

- in your home

- in your bedroom while you sleep

- in your backyard

- while camping

- at the beach

- on vacation

…and anywhere else.

No DEET or Toxic Chemicals

Stop slathering toxic sprays and creams all over yourself and your family!

BuzzBGone Zap is conveniently DEET-free and is completely safe to use around kids and pets.

It’s the safest, most effective way to enjoy summer without worrying about annoying mosquitoes.

Long-Lasting Rechargeable Battery

BuzzBGone Zap runs up to 6 hours on a single charge and is conveniently charged via USB-C.

It’s absolutely perfect for weekend camping trips, family outings in a park, or creating a mosquito-free environment all night long while you sleep.