How High Do Mosquitoes Go Up High?
WouterWhether for research or for keeping mosquitoes away, many people want to know how high mosquitoes can fly. Most mosquitoes prefer to fly at a height of 25 feet or lower, but some species can go even higher.
In the Himalayas, some mosquitoes can go as high as 8,000 feet above sea level. This is due to lower temperatures, but there are some mosquito species that prefer higher altitudes.
Some species prefer to fly high in the air to find a food source. These species are often seen thriving in high rise apartment buildings. Some of these mosquitoes will fly up to seven miles from their breeding grounds.
Other species will fly as high as 950 feet above the ground. They are able to travel this distance because of the high altitude winds. There are also mosquitoes that can breed as high as twenty-one stories above the ground.
These mosquitoes are responsible for spreading a serious flu called Dengue. The female Aedes mosquito is the primary carrier of Dengue fever. She can lay up to five lifetimes of eggs and will breed in water-filled containers. She is also capable of flying up to 50 feet above the ground.
Some mosquitoes can travel hundreds of miles in a single night. They prefer to breed near human habitats, but they can also travel far. This is because of the scarcity of oxygen.
NIAID mosquito ecologist Tovi Lehmann led a mosquito hunting team that captured 461,000 mosquitoes. They also used helium balloons to hoist vertical sticky nets at heights between 40 and 290 meters above the ground.
