What do female mosquitos feed on?
Blood
nectar
sap
water
Blood
The female mosquito is the one that feeds on blood. (males feed on flower nectar). She requires blood to produce eggs. Her mouthparts are constructed so that they pierce the skin, literally sucking the blood out. Her saliva lubricates the opening. It’s the saliva plus the injury to the skin that creates the stinging and irritation we associate with mosquito bites.
Unfortunately, mosquitoes are carriers for a host of diseases, including malaria, yellow fever, West Nile virus, and Dengue fever. There are hundreds of species of mosquitoes belonging to the family Culicidae. Since they breed in standing water, a way to eliminate them around the home is to remove objects where water collects, such as cans, buckets, old tires, and refreshing the water in bird baths at least once a week. Turn water barrels upside down during the winter, as well.