How do mosquitoes survive the winter?

Mosquitoes cannot keep their body temperature constant. If the temperature drops to a certain extent, they will stop moving or even die. In order to save themselves and survive the cold winter, mosquitoes really have many means. Let's take the common Culex pipiens pallens as an example to talk about the problem of mosquitoes wintering.

If you want to spend the winter, the first thing to do is to choose a "land of feng shui". Culex pipiens pallens will not come out to feed in winter. They will choose warm (not freezing to death), wet (not dying from the sun), dark (not easy to be found) and sheltered places. Specifically, houses, garages, cellars and even kennels are all good choices for mosquitoes to spend the winter.

In addition to choosing a place, Culex pipiens pallens will also practice "internal strength". As we all know, in winter, the days get shorter, the nights get longer, and the temperature gets lower. Mosquitoes can also feel the changes of photoperiod and temperature, and then "diapause" occurs, actively storing fat and sugar in the body, which is a bit like brown bears and other animals who have to keep adding meals and gaining weight before hibernation. In addition, in late autumn and early winter, the water in mosquitoes will be reduced, which will help them survive the low temperature.

Even so, because the eggs, larvae and pupae of Culex pipiens pallens live in water, their cold resistance is weak, and once they freeze, they will be completely annihilated (for humans, they like to run big), so most of them can survive the cold winter.

Some mosquitoes overwinter, similar to Culex pipiens pallens, while some mosquitoes' eggs, larvae and pupae are more cold-resistant and do not need to overwinter like adults.