BIRDBATH * LIFE
Come with me to check out my mushroom shaped birdbath. It has been sitting for awhile after some rainy days.
Looks a little raunchy with low water. A closer look with a video is in order.
What we have here are mosquito larvae. Most likely a few disease carriers in the making.
Here's a better look off you-tube.
Larvae pictures from ... duckduckgo.com
Mosquitoes go through 4 life stages ... EGG, LARVAE, PUPA, and ADULT.
After taking a blood meal female Mosquitoes lay their eggs on or near water, depending on the over 3,000 species. They lay one at a time, side by side, sticking together forming rafts that float on the water. They can lay 100 to 400 eggs.
Raft
Eggs hatch within a week becoming LARVAE called "Wigglers", about 1/4 inch long.
They live in the water from 4-14 or longer days. Depending on the water temperature.
They breath with a siphon tube poked above the water surface.
In the LARVAE stage they are voracious eaters. Consuming algae, plankton, fungi and more. The LARVAE molt 4Xs, growing larger to about 1/2 inch.
It then becomes a PUPA called "Tumblers", a cocoon like stage that float at the surface. Staying in this stage without eating or molting they emerge as an ADULT in about 4 days.
PUPA
WAL-LAH ............... The MOSQUITO
source ... terminix.com, mosquitoworld, duckduckgo.com
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Interesting! And ucky!
I was wondering what they were in the video, larvae did not come to mind.
Very cool idea for a post.
I post stuff that is new and interests me. Thanks @nananini
This is my biggest enemy. I never harm animals, but this one! It is a matter of life and death lol
Any blood sucker is fair game.
That is one mean mozzie! It would be nice to see a hand splatting it in the last photo lol
Sweet revenge lol