Common mosquito (Culex pipiens)

Size:

• Body length: 5 to 7 mm
• Wingspan: approx. 10 to 12 mm

Look:

• Slender, brownish-grey body
• Long, thin legs
• Narrow, transparent wings with dark veining
• Females with long proboscis
• Males with bushy antennae, smaller proboscis

Way of life:

• Active at dusk and at night
• Daytime hiding places in damp, cool areas such as cellars, shafts, or vegetation
• Females need a blood meal to lay eggs.
• They often overwinter as fertilized females in protected indoor spaces.

Reproduction:

• Egg laying on still waters in typical "egg boats" containing up to 300 eggs.
• Larvae live in water and breathe through a breathing tube.
• Development from egg to mosquito takes 10 to 20 days, depending on temperature.
• Multiple generations per year are possible

Breeding sites:

• Rain barrels, bird baths, watering cans, sewage shafts
• Flower pot saucers, paddling pools, gutters
• Small, unnoticed accumulations of water are enough
• Even temporary puddles or seepage pits are used.

Nutrition:

• Males: Plant juices, nectar
• Females: Blood from humans, birds, small mammals
• Particularly active in high humidity and warm temperatures
• Bites are most often found on uncovered, thin-skinned areas of the body.

Behave:

• Females locate hosts via CO₂ emissions, body heat, and skin odor.
• Flight radius usually less than 1 kilometer
• Frequent intrusion into living spaces through open windows or light sources
• Overwintering in cellars, sheds, air shafts or animal stables

Annoyance:

• Itchy bites, swelling, skin irritation
• Particularly unpleasant in bedrooms, on balconies and in gardens
• Scratching can lead to inflammation or secondary bacterial infections.

Allergic reactions:

• Local irritation with wheal formation
• In rare cases, systemic reactions may occur in sensitive individuals.

Disease transmission:

• Possible vector for West Nile virus, avian malaria and bacteria
• So far, only isolated cases of the virus have been detected in birds in Switzerland.

Eliminate water sources:

• Regularly remove standing water from barrels, bowls, and saucers.
• Cover rainwater tanks or secure them with mosquito netting.
• Cleaning clogged gutters
• Change birdbaths daily

Building protection:

• Install insect screens on windows and doors
• Shield light sources near windows.
• Ventilate rooms well and prevent mosquitoes from entering.

Behave:

• Apply repellents to skin and clothing
• Wear long clothing when staying in mosquito-prone areas.
• Indoor fans can make it more difficult for mosquitoes to fly.