What Do Mosquitoes Eat?

Contrary to popular belief, mosquitoes don’t sustain themselves on blood alone. The blood is used as a means of reproduction that only the females require. Their diet also depends on their stage of life:

• As larvae, mosquitoes feed on the organic material in the water that they live in, such as bacteria or algae.
• In the pupal stage, they do not feed on anything.
• Adult mosquitoes, male and female alike, feed on nectar from flowering plants.
• Female mosquitoes feed not just on human blood, but also blood from small mammals, birds, snakes, and more.

Do Mosquitoes Eat Anything Other Than Blood?

It comes as a surprise to many to learn that blood is just a small portion of a mosquito’s diet. In fact, males do not feed on blood at all, while females feed on blood in order to reproduce. To survive, mosquitoes must have a frequent intake of sugar. Similar to other insects, mosquitoes will nourish themselves with plant sap, nectar, and honeydew.

Male vs. Female Mosquito Diet

The only mosquito that bites to feed on blood is the female mosquito! But what about male mosquitoes? They differ in the following ways:

• To reproduce, female mosquitoes must have a blood meal. Afterward, they can breed and lay their eggs. Female mosquitoes also feed on nectar, which is a large part of their diet.
• Male mosquitoes do not feed on blood. Instead, they rely on sugar from plant nectar. They use their proboscis to retrieve the nectar from plants. Male mosquitoes thus are not responsible for transmitting diseases.

Can Mosquitoes Survive Without Eating?

Mosquitoes naturally have a short lifespan of only a few months, but that doesn’t mean they can’t become a nuisance around your home. Without eating, a female mosquito may die within a few days of not finding a food source. In general, mosquitoes will die off if they do not have a food source, but this is not the case during the dormant stage of winter. During this time, they can go months without eating.