# Can mosquitoes breed more than once? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 5, 2010, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mosquitoes-breed-more-than-once/549320 "2010-08-05T20:18:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mosquitoes-breed-more-than-once/549320/1 "2010-08-05T20:18:11Z")
That’s the question. ---
**Author:** ![mozchron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mozchron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mozchron)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mosquitoes-breed-more-than-once/549320/2 "2010-08-05T20:51:01Z")
Absolutely. After bloodfeeding, most mosquitoes take 2-4 days to digest and process the bloodmeal into eggs. After they lay, they are hungry for more blood to start the process over again. Mosquito eggs (like most insects) develop kind of like beads on a string - the last oocyte is the mature one - after it is laid, the next one moves up in the chain. The deposited egg leaves a remnant of itself. It is possible to dissect the ovaries, count these remnants and determine exactly how many times the mosquito has reproduced (its NOT EASY to do this, but its possible in the hands of an expert). This technique was one used to age field-caught mosquitoes - you assume they reproduce about every 3 days, count the ovarian remnants and calculate how old they were. For one study (in Bangladesh, I believe) published in the 1960’s, the authors caught a female _Culex pipiens_ (_fatigans_) mosquito that had reproduced nine times. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mosquitoes-breed-more-than-once/549320/3 "2010-08-05T20:59:59Z")
This is very bad news. I’m so happy to have gotten an expert. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![mozchron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mozchron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mozchron)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mosquitoes-breed-more-than-once/549320/4 "2010-08-05T21:15:01Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > This is very bad news. Why bad news? They are just trying to make a living, same as you… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mosquitoes-breed-more-than-once/549320/5 "2010-08-05T21:19:23Z")
Reproduction factors have been optimal for over a month. I was hoping for a Mayfly scenario. ---
**Author:** ![mozchron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mozchron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mozchron)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mosquitoes-breed-more-than-once/549320/6 "2010-08-05T21:22:55Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > Reproduction factors have been optimal for over a month. I was hoping for a Mayfly scenario. Ah. No such luck, I’m afraid. I don’t know your location, but in many places it’ll be mosquito season for the next couple of months at least. Some places they can breed all year round. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mosquitoes-breed-more-than-once/549320/7 "2010-08-05T21:43:39Z")
This is Wisconsin. It could freeze in about 4 weeks. The area has had high water for way over a month and places where mosquitoes can’t normally breed in summer are putting out the buggers like an assembly line. I’ve also been finding some that are about 3 times the size I normally see. One had such an extended abdomen I thought it was a lady bug.