Only the female bites, she needs your blood to make eggs, and she'll lay them in the saucer under your pot plant if nothing better is around. Understanding that is most of the battle.
Mosquitoes are small, long-legged flies whose larvae live in still water. The adults feed on plant nectar, but females also need a blood meal to develop their eggs, and that's when they find you. In the Garden Route, most of the mosquitoes that bite at night around houses are common house mosquitoes, which breed in small, still, often dirty water close to where people live. Lakes and lagoons add to the numbers in places like Sedgefield, Wilderness and Knysna, but the source is usually much closer than people think.
What they look like
- Slender, about 4 to 7 mm long, with long thin legs
- Narrow wings, held flat over the body when resting
- A long, needle-like mouthpart sticking out in front
- Males have feathery antennae; females, the biters, have finer ones
- The common night-biting house mosquito is a dull brownish colour
The life cycle
- Eggs Laid on the surface of still water, often stuck together in small floating rafts, or on damp edges of containers just above the waterline.
- Larvae The "wrigglers" you see jerking up and down in a bucket of rainwater. They hang from the surface to breathe and feed on organic matter in the water.
- Pupae Comma-shaped "tumblers" that don't feed. In a day or two they split open at the surface.
- Adults Emerge from the water, rest for a while, mate, and the females go looking for blood.
In summer heat, the whole cycle from egg to biting adult can take around a week. That's why a bucket of rainwater left for a fortnight can produce hundreds of mosquitoes, and why emptying it every few days stops them completely.
How they find you
Female mosquitoes follow the carbon dioxide we breathe out from a distance, then home in on body heat, sweat and skin odour as they get closer. That's why some people seem to be bitten far more than others, and why a breeze from a fan makes it harder for them to land. Most house mosquitoes bite from dusk through the night and rest in shady, sheltered spots during the day: dense shrubs, under decks, inside wardrobes and behind curtains.
Why the bites itch
When a mosquito bites, she injects saliva that stops your blood clotting. Your immune system reacts to that saliva, which causes the itchy red bump. Some people, especially young children and visitors who haven't been bitten much before, react with large, hot swellings. Scratching makes it worse and can lead to infection.
Are they a health risk here?
On the Garden Route, mosquitoes are a nuisance rather than a disease concern for most people. South Africa's malaria areas are in the far north-east of the country, not here. If you develop a fever after travelling to a malaria area, see a doctor and say where you travelled.
Where they breed around a house
- Pot plant saucers and plants that hold water in their leaves
- Blocked gutters
- Buckets, tyres, wheelbarrows, boats and anything else that collects rain
- Green or neglected pools, fishless ponds and birdbaths
- Rainwater tanks with open inlets or gaps around the lid
- Blocked drains and septic tank openings
Cutting numbers down
The most effective thing you can do is a weekly walk around the garden emptying, covering or draining anything that holds water. Add fish to ornamental ponds, keep the pool chlorinated or covered, clean the gutters before summer, and fit screens on bedroom windows. Where there's water you can't remove and a lot of dense, shady garden, a professional treatment of resting areas makes a real difference. Our mosquito control page explains what we do, and our page on mosquito control in Sedgefield looks at the lake side of things.
Holiday homes on the lakes can be hit hard, because blocked gutters, green pools and full pot saucers have had months to breed mosquitoes before anyone arrives. Ask for a mosquito check when you book holiday home pest control before your trip. Our page on insect control in Sedgefield covers the other insects that come with living near the water.
Frequently asked questions
Why do only female mosquitoes bite?
Females need protein from a blood meal to develop their eggs. Males feed only on nectar and plant juices.
How long does a mosquito take to develop?
In warm summer weather, about a week from egg to biting adult. Emptying standing water every few days stops the cycle.
Why do mosquitoes bite some people more than others?
They follow carbon dioxide, body heat, sweat and skin odour, which vary from person to person. Some people simply smell more attractive to them.
Where do mosquitoes go during the day?
They rest in shady, sheltered places: dense shrubs, under decks, in garages and inside cupboards and behind curtains.
Are Garden Route mosquitoes dangerous?
For most people they're a nuisance rather than a health risk. South Africa's malaria areas are in the far north-east, not on the Garden Route.