mosquito

Only female mosquitoes bite; they need a blood meal to produce eggs, while males feed on flower nectar. Mosquitoes spend the first part of their lives in water, which is why they gather near ponds, puddles and even rainwater left in old buckets. Their wriggling larvae hang just below the surface and breathe through a tiny tube. Our guide to the mosquito life cycle covers each phase from egg to flying adult and why removing standing water helps.