Mosquitoes and willows prefer damp conditions.
Mosquitoes may breed in or around willow trees because the foliage provides cover and protection from predators. Mosquitoes may be equally attracted to breeding near the trees because of the conditions present where willow trees thrive. Both mosquitoes and willows thrive in wet habitats. Does this Spark an idea?
Significance
All willows show a proclivity for water-soaked soils, notes the North Dakota State University Extension. The white willow grows in floodplains; weeping willows grow along ponds, river banks and in areas where water tends to stand or pool.
Identification
Certain types of mosquitoes, such as Aedes and Psorophora mosquitoes, require both wet and dry conditions to complete their life cycle, according to the Rutgers Center for Vector Biology. These mosquitoes prefer transient water sources, ones where the water is still, to lay their eggs. Other mosquitoes, such as some Anopheles mosquitoes, breed in moving water.
Considerations
Female mosquitoes lay their eggs both on the surface of water and in areas that may accumulate standing water, according to the University of Missouri Extension. Willow trees may help eliminate pools of water where mosquitoes breed, as the trees need large amounts of water for their rapid growth.
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