Everyone knows that mosquitoes are warm weather pests. They tend to disappear once the temperatures get near freezing. Have you ever wondered where the mosquitoes go all winter? Here's what you need to know about pests during the colder months.

Mosquitoes are still around in the winter, but their lifecycle impacts their activity in the winter. Mosquitoes typically lay their eggs in the late summer or fall while the soil is moist. Then, when the ground freezes, the eggs go dormant all winter. When the ground thaws, the eggs hatch, and a new generation of mosquitoes is born.

In other cases, some mosquitoes survive all winter in the larval stage. For these mosquitoes, the larvae live in the water. When the water freezes, the larvae don't die. They just enter a state where their development is slowed. Once the water gets warm, their development will kick back into gear to become full adult mosquitoes.

The reason mosquitoes seem to return each year with a vengeance is because they're trying to survive. Mosquitoes need to eat just like you do, but they thrive on blood. Without blood, female mosquitoes can't develop their eggs. That's why they're drawn to you and all your outdoor gatherings during the warmer months.

Once the female mosquito has developed her eggs, she'll lay them in the water or the soil. There, the eggs will incubate, going dormant all winter. Then, with the spring thaw, the cycle will start all over again.