Aedes Mosquito

📖Biology and behaviour

Aedes mosquitoes, mainly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, spread dengue, chikungunya and Zika. They are easy to recognise by their black body with white stripes on the legs, and unlike most mosquitoes they bite during the day, with peaks in the morning and late afternoon.

They breed in small, clean, still water: coolers, flower pots and plates, discarded tyres, buckets, uncovered tanks, bottle caps, plant saucers and clogged rooftop gutters. Eggs stick to the container walls and can survive dry weather for months, then hatch when rain refills the container. They fly only short distances, so the mosquitoes biting you usually breed within a few hundred metres of your home.

⚡Quick facts

Bites

Daytime, mornings and late afternoons

Look

Black with white stripes on legs

Breeds in

Small clean-water containers

Spreads

Dengue, chikungunya, Zika

🔎How to spot an infestation

• Day-time bites on the ankles, legs and arms, even indoors
• Small, wriggling larvae in coolers, pots, buckets and tanks
• Standing water in tyres, plates, rooftop gutters and discarded containers
• A rise in fever cases in the neighbourhood after the monsoon
• Mosquitoes resting in dark corners under beds and behind curtains

🛡️How to prevent it

• Empty and scrub every container that holds water at least once a week, including cooler trays and pot plates
• Cover water tanks and drums tightly, and fit fine mesh on vents
• Clear rooftop gutters, tyres and construction pits where rain collects
• Use window and door screens, and wear long clothing at peak biting times
• Use repellents or bed nets for children and the elderly when needed
• Report neglected sites to your society or municipal health department