Mosquitoes lay eggs in bodies of water such as lakes and ponds. The mosquito eggs float on the water's surface.

During the spring and the summer, mosquito larvae hatch from the eggs laid by the female mosquito during the previous summer. 

The mosquito larva grows in the water before pupating, forming a hard shell called a pupa.

The mosquito develops inside the shell. Finally, the mosquito breaks free from its pupa, having developed into an adult mosquito with wings and a sucker. 

This kind of a process is called a complete metamorphosis. The stages of a complete metamorphosis are the egg, the larva, the pupa and the adult insect. 

Because mosquitoes develop in water, they can often be encountered near lakes, rivers and bogs.
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