# Do mosquitos breed in the rain?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mosquitos-breed-in-the-rain/295777>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 22, 2005, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mosquitos-breed-in-the-rain/295777 "2005-03-22T21:24:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2005, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mosquitos-breed-in-the-rain/295777/1 "2005-03-22T21:24:15Z")

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We all know that standing water is a standing invitation – to mosquitos. Do the temporary puddles that form in my yard during rainstorms provide the same amenity to the bloodsucking vermin, or do falling rain and splashing drops inhibit them?

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**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2005, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mosquitos-breed-in-the-rain/295777/2 "2005-03-22T21:45:49Z")

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> [@Nametag](#):
>
> We all know that standing water is a standing invitation – to mosquitos. Do the temporary puddles that form in my yard during rainstorms provide the same amenity to the bloodsucking vermin, or do falling rain and splashing drops inhibit them?

**[http://www.calliope.qld.gov.au/Community/Health/Docs/mossie.htm](http://www.calliope.qld.gov.au/Community/Health/Docs/mossie.htm)**  
This article says mosquitos breed in fresh and in sea water. Actually, IIRC, they breed on plant stems, the females lay the eggs on/in the nearest body of water and the larvae hatch to grow to molt as “flesh eating” blood suckers.  
Have suspicions the rain/splashing has no real effect on their very short love life.

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**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mosquitos-breed-in-the-rain/295777/3 "2005-03-23T02:58:00Z")

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Mosquito larvae live in the same pool that the eggs were originally laid in, and require about eight days (according to [this site](http://www.brunsco.net/modules.php?name=Departments&sop=viewarticle&artid=136) to go from freshly laid eggs to full-fledged nuisance. So my guess would be that if your puddles in your yard dry up within a week or so, that would spell trouble for the larvae.