t’s not clear how many birds there are that eat mosquitoes. It’s been said that purple martins can eat thousands of mosquitoes a day. Some of the birds that are known for eating mosquitoes are migratory swallows, songbirds, and waterfowl. However, the following species eat both the larvae and the adult mosquitoes:
- Purple Martins
- Red-Eyed Vireos
- Chirping Sparrows
- Downy Woodpeckers
- Yellow Warblers
- Eastern Bluebirds
- Eastern Phoebes
- Baltimore Orioles
- Geese
- Terns
- Ducks
- Wrens
- Nighthawks
Putting birdseed out for these types of birds can attract them, and encourage them to eat the local mosquito population. Also, while frogs, tadpoles, and toads all eat mosquitoes, they don’t rely on them as a substantial part of their diet. The giant tree frog, the green tree frog, and the spadefoot toad all eat mosquito larvae as one of their main sources of food.
In actuality, fish are the most effective natural predators of mosquitoes. Guppies, bass, catfish, bluegills, and goldfish eat mosquito larvae and help to reduce the surrounding mosquito population. Despite all of these mosquito predators on the hunt, mosquito bites are still common.
