AEDES FACTS !

Aedes aegypti, also known as the “yellow fever mosquito”, is an invasive mosquito. This black and white striped mosquito bites people and animals during the day.

DID YOU KNOW ?

• 1. Only the female Aedes mosquito bites as it needs the protein in blood to develop its eggs. 
• Female mosquitoes lay their eggs in small artificial or natural containers that hold water. Containers can include dishes under potted plants, bird baths, ornamental fountains, tin cans, or discarded tires. Even a small amount of standing water can produce mosquitoes.
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• 2. The mosquito becomes ineffective approximately seven days after it has bitten a person carrying the virus. 
• This is the extrinsic incubation period, during which time the virus replicates in the mosquito and reaches the salivary glands.
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• 3. Peak biting is at dawn and dusk.
• This mosquito bites primarily during the day, both indoors and outdoors. They are most active for approximately two hours after sunrise and several hours before sunset, but can bite at night in well-lit areas. Aedes aegypti can bite people without being noticed. This mosquito prefers biting people but it also bites dogs and other domestic animals, mostly mammals. 
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• 4. The average lifespan of an Aedes mosquito in Nature is two weeks.
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• 5. The mosquito can lay eggs about three times in its lifetime, and about 100 eggs are produced each time.
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• 6. The eggs can lie dormant in dry conditions for up to about nine months, after which they can hatch if exposed to favorable conditions, i.e. water and food.
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Source from National Environment Agency