Members of the Animal Kingdom That Help in Mosquito Control

Pests of all kinds can be such a nuisance when they invade your home. They can lead to an infestation! But they also pose the danger of transmitting vector-borne illnesses. If only there was a way to easily avoid these problems! Well, it is worth remembering that all creatures exist in a balanced ecosystem. It is made up of food chains and food webs. This means that each animal has its own diet and knows how to get its meals.

Now, when it comes to mosquito control, it’s interesting to know that some animals feed on mosquitoes. That’s either the mosquito larvae or adult mosquitoes. Let’s consider some of them.

Insects

Some members of the insect family, to which mosquitoes belong, find their relatives tasty. Sounds quite mean, but that’s nature and its mode of existence.

Do Dragonflies eat Mosquitoes?
Yes.

Dragonflies feed on insects and are reputed as great hunters with their hawk eye vision. Also, they can move from place to place at a speed of 25 to 30 miles per hour. A dragonfly can catch up to 95% of its targets. Lions are only successful at 25% of their targets. That makes dragonflies a great insect predator.

Their larvae stage is aquatic, and they live their adulthood around water bodies.

Mosquitoes are one of their preferred targets as mosquitoes are also roaming around water during their breeding and early adult stages.

Hence, Dragonflies have become natural enemies of mosquitoes. Dragonfly larvae feed on mosquito larvae whenever possible. Adult dragonflies eat flying adult mosquitoes. Read more at Maid Miracles…

Aquatic Animals

When thinking about mosquito control, one effective option is to get rid of them in their early stages. Some aquatic animals are pretty good at feeding on mosquito larvae. The best part about this idea is that these animals are in their natural habitat as they feed on the larvae in water.

Turtles
These aquatic predators, especially red-eared sliders, love to feast on mosquitoes.

Frogs
Though mosquitoes are not an integral party of an adult frog’s diet, the premature tadpole sometimes consumes mosquito larvae.

Fish
Freshwater species such as bluegill, bass, and the fittingly named mosquitofish are always happy to consume morsels of vulnerable mosquito larvae. Read more at Full Scope Pest Control…

Arachnids and Mammals

Arachnids are animals that are joint-legged. They are also invertebrates, that is, they don’t have a backbone like mammals. However different these two classes of animals are, some of them find mosquitoes particularly delicious.

Spiders
Web-building spiders are known to eat mosquitoes they manage to capture, but have a stronger preference for other insects as food. In sharp contrast, two species of jumping spider (Evarcha culicivora, aka the Vampire spider, from Africa and Paracyrba wanlessi from Malaysia) make their favorite snacks out of mosquitoes. These jumping spiders are masters at hunting and capturing mosquitoes.

Vampire spiders specialize in feeding on female Anopheles mosquitoes that have recently had a blood meal. Paracyrba wanlessi spiders (sometimes compared to a “miniature cats”) stalk and prey on larval and adult mosquitoes in Malaysian bamboo forests.

Bats

Mosquitoes and bats have a well-known relationship. While bats may hunt and catch many different species of nocturnal insects, they have a distinct appetite for mosquitoes. Studies of bat droppings (guano) have revealed that mosquitoes are a big part of their diet.

Plus, bats are expert flying mosquito hunters and trappers. Their built-in echolocation sonar systems make it easy for them to locate and eat mosquitoes. Read more at Maggie’s Farm Products…

If it was possible, you’d have all these animals in your yard. Then maybe you wouldn’t worry about mosquito control as much as you do. But rearing these animals brings its own set of problems and inconveniences. The good news is that there are experts in town who can help you with any residential mosquito problem. Backyard Bug Patrol is here with viable solutions to mosquito control in your yard. Call us today to make inquiries.