Do Mosquitoes Have a Height Limit?
WouterDepending on which species you’re talking about, the flight height of a mosquito can vary. There are some species that will fly as far as ten miles, while others only reach a few thousand feet. The best way to determine the flight height of a mosquito is to look at the surrounding conditions.
As a general rule, mosquitoes don’t like flying in thin air. They are sluggish flyers. They have wings that flap 800 times per second. However, they can also fly in high altitude winds. In the Sahara’s semi-deserts, the malaria mosquito can reach heights of 290 meters.
Some species will travel as far as 40 miles from their birthplace. Other species prefer to breed near the ground. For example, female Aedes mosquitoes will lay eggs in walls of a water-filled container.
The most important thing to know about the flight height of a mosquito is that it varies from species to species. Most species prefer to operate within a radius of between 160 and 320 feet.
There are some species that can fly as far as eighty miles, though these are rare. They tend to breed in confined spaces, such as tree holes up to fifty feet above the ground. Some species will even breed in high-rise apartments.
Aside from flying high, the flight of the mosquito also has a few other interesting features. For example, some species can detect carbon dioxide from fifty to seventy-five feet away.
