What Eats Mosquitoes in St. Louis?

Do Koi Eat Mosquito Larvae? Your questions answered and other natural (or installed) mosquito predators you can benefit from in St. Louis.

In the circle of life, there is a food chain. Mosquitoes, like many insects have natural predators that keep their populations somewhat controlled. These predators will eat mosquitoes at various stages of life from eggs to larvae and full-grown, flying adult mosquitoes. Check out the list of mosquito predators below to understand the benefits of keeping these nature’s helpers around.

Animals That Eat Mosquitoes

Koi definitely eat mosquito larvae. In fact, most fish eat mosquito larvae. You’ll find that in active ponds, there can be fewer mosquitoes than around a puddle of water in your backyard. Guppies, goldfish, bass, catfish, and bluegill all feast on mosquito larvae. But if you’re looking to stock your pond with the most effective fish for mosquito control, choose the Gambusia affini – nicknamed the “mosquito fish” these fish can consume up to 1.5 times their body weight in food per day.

Tadpoles and frogs eat mosquito larvae and mosquitoes. Frogs and tadpoles are natural inhabitants of a standard freshwater pond and mosquitoes, and their larvae are part of their diet. But only a few varieties eat mosquitoes in a high enough volume to be worth adding to your ecosystem for that purpose. In St. Louis, that would include the spadefoot toad.

Bats devour mosquitoes. According to Mother Earth News, a bat can eat up to 1,200 mosquito-sized insects EVERY HOUR! That adds up to between 6 and 8,000 insects per night, per bat.

Birds snack on mosquitoes. Several varieties of birds eat mosquitoes, but Purple martins take the cake when it comes to mosquito consumption. They catch their prey in mid-air, and it is widely speculated that Purple martins can eat up to 2,000 mosquitoes per day. They return to the same nesting site year-after-year, which makes hanging gourds a great way to attract them long-term.

Several varieties of insects eat mosquitoes too! Dragonflies, damselflies, and some varieties of beetles also eat mosquitoes and their larvae. Though, none of these insects eat enough mosquitoes to control the population.

When nature is of no help in your St. Louis yard, you can rely on Mosquito Squad of West St. Louis County to help control your mosquito problem. We’ll assess your specific issues and provide you a solution. Along with our popular mosquito barrier treatment, we may utilize mosquito larvicide in any water sources where the frogs and fish are not consuming mosquitoes at a quick enough pace.

Call today for a free estimate and say Good Riddance to mosquitoes!