It is only natural for animals to hide when in danger, or when making attempts to attack a prey. While some animals find this quite hard due to their enormous body structures, many insects have no problem going into hiding. Mosquitoes are one group of insects that have mastered the art of hiding and could go incognito in no time.
The reason why mosquitoes go into hiding is not just because they need a place to lay their heads (yeah, they also rest), or because they are scared of getting killed, but because they need room to lay their eggs and to mature.
Mosquitoes can be placed in two different categories with regard to their habitat, and these categories are; permanent water mosquitoes and floodwater mosquitoes. For the permanent water mosquitoes, their eggs are laid in rafts, which are clumps of 50 to 300 on the surface of standing water. While some species prefer clean, moving water, others, like the Culex pipiens mosquito, prefer stagnant or dirty water.
Among the permanent water mosquitoes, Culex and Anopheles are the most common. In order to survive, their eggs must stay in the water for some days before hatching, and keeping gutters full of debris makes these mosquitoes feel at home- or makes them move permanently to their new home, your backyard.
The other group, the floodwater mosquitoes, lay their eggs in moist soil. As soon as the ground dries, the eggs will dry too, and will only hatch when rain saturates the ground and when the water levels start increasing. The inland floodwater mosquito, or Aedes vexans, is one of the most common species. Floodwater mosquitoes tend to be a nuisance after about ten days following heavy rain, and would only stop pestering people after one or two weeks.
At your backyard, having a pool is something on your to-do list, or you already have one. Well, having established that some mosquitoes like standing water, it is not a surprise that ponds can be a perfect hiding place and breeding ground for mosquitoes. Now, this is not to discourage you, as having the right upkeep can help you keep your pond as mosquito-free as possible. Also, puddles are a source of joy to mosquitoes, and the reason is not farfetched- puddles are usually still!
In Toronto, mosquitoes find fortress in tall grasses, as mosquitoes enjoy a moist and shady place. Mowing the lawn regularly, and trimming tall grasses will send mosquitoes packing.
Now just like everywhere else in the world, residents of Toronto like to keep flowers. Who would have thought that an innocent act like this could make room for some mosquitoes to have some space? Well, having flowers is not the deal, having empty flower pots outside your yard is. This is a perfect place for water to be dormant, and this, of course, attracts mosquitoes. Get rid of pots or saucers that you are no longer using, and constantly drain the water in your pots, especially after it rains.