Common Mosquitoes are also called ‘house mosquitoes’ because they are often seen in homes or near people. Sometimes these mosquitoes are confused with Winter Gnats because gnats also form swarms and are also attracted to light on mild winter nights, just like Common Mosquitoes.

Common Mosquitoes are usually about six millimetres in length and have long thin bodies which are a brown or grey colour. They also have two long antennae which are quite hairy and their wings are narrow and transparent. They have six long thin legs. These mosquitoes prefer to live near water, especially water which is polluted. They can be seen all year round and they very rarely bite people because they predominantly feed off birds.

Female Common Mosquitoes like to lay their eggs in tins, cans or containers where there is stagnant water. They will even lay their eggs in old water in bird baths, rain gutters and in old water in plastic swimming pools. When the larvae hatch out of the eggs, they first dangle from the surface of the water head down and if the water is disturbed, they tend to wriggle a lot.