What environmental condition directly supports a rise in mosquito numbers?

High humidity levels are a key environmental condition that supports a rise in mosquito numbers. Mosquitoes thrive in moist environments, as they require water for their breeding and development stages. Adult female mosquitoes lay their eggs in stagnant water, and areas with high humidity are often conducive to the presence of water bodies such as puddles, ponds, or marshes.

In addition, high humidity facilitates the survival of adult mosquitoes by preventing desiccation. Higher moisture levels can lead to increased activity and reproduction rates among mosquito populations, thus contributing to their proliferation. This is especially relevant in areas where temperatures are warm, as warmth combined with humidity creates an ideal habitat for mosquitoes to flourish.

Other environmental factors that have lesser or negative impacts include increased wind speed, which can disrupt mosquito flight patterns; lack of water sources, which limits breeding sites; and cold temperatures, which usually reduce mosquito activity and reproduction. Therefore, high humidity levels stand out as a primary factor that directly supports an increase in mosquito populations.