Flea, Tick & Pest Center

All mosquitoes are not created equal.

In fact, there are more than 2.700 species around the globe and 13 in the US. Although all of them bite, spread disease and ruin picnics, they are usually divided into three groups. Each type of mosquito lives in a different habitat, and requires different methods of prevention.

Aedes. These mosquitoes are also called “floodwater mosquitoes” because flooding is important for their eggs to hatch. They can fly long distances. They like to attack mammals, especially humans.

Culex. These are the kind of mosquitoes you find in stagnant or polluted water, such as in plant pots, fishing ponds, and gutters. The good news is that they are weak flyers and only live a few weeks. The bad news is that their bite is painful.

Anopholes. These flying menaces prefer bodies of permanent fresh water with aquatic plant life. Among this group is the infamous malaria mosquito, which spreads malaria to humans.