6 Interesting Facts About Mosquitoes

Summer is the best time to go to the beach and enjoy the warm weather. However, during this time, mosquitoes are all over, and they spoil the moments of summer. Mosquitoes are annoying insects, and they are dangerous to your health. Despite being irritating insects, you still can have an interest in learning some facts about mosquitoes. Here are some interesting facts about mosquitoes.

1. Not All Mosquitoes Bite

Other than the irritating buzzing sound of mosquitoes, you might always be scared of mosquitoes because of the bites. At times, you might get annoyed with mosquitoes because you know all they need to do is bite you. However, some mosquitoes do not bite humans; they buzz around and leave you alone. Only female mosquitoes bite. This is because female mosquitoes use your blood for reproduction. Your blood has a protein component that helps mosquitoes to produce and develop eggs. You can prevent mosquito bites by applying mosquito repellents or sleeping under a treated mosquito net.

2. Mosquitoes Are World Deadliest Animals

As small as they are, mosquitoes are the world’s deadliest animals. This is because of the number of harmful diseases mosquitoes are known to spread. Female anopheles mosquitoes are vectors for malaria. The Aedes aegypti mosquito spreads dengue fever. When an infected Aedes mosquito species bite you, then you will get dengue fever. These diseases are known to cause approximately one million deaths per year. Other mosquito bite infections include:

  • Zika virus
  • West Nile virus
  • Schistosomiasis

3. Water Is Essential for Mosquito Breeding

Female mosquitoes lay their eggs in water, and their eggs develop into larvae. The larval stage of mosquitoes is the feeding stage. At this stage, the larvae feed on inorganic matter, which is present in stagnant water. The larva then develops into a pupa, then later on into adulthood. When they become adults is when mosquitoes start flying. The life cycle from egg to adult takes approximately ten days. This is why when you want to keep mosquitoes away, it would be best if you drain stagnant water near your home.

Mosquito-Breed

4. There Are Over 3,500 Mosquito Species

It is interesting to learn that there are more kinds of mosquitoes on earth than humans. There are over 3,500 species of mosquitoes on earth, but not all of them are harmful. About 200 species of mosquitoes are the ones that bite humans. Other mosquito species bite amphibians, birds, and reptiles. Despite being many species of mosquitoes, you can still control yourself from getting mosquito bites. At mosquito control houston tx, we can protect your family from harmful mosquitoes at all costs.

5. Mosquito Saliva Is Harmful

When a mosquito bites you, it deposits its saliva on your skin. When a mosquito is biting, it needs some time to feed on enough blood. It releases the saliva to act as an anticoagulant so that your blood cannot clot in the process of sucking. Also, the saliva acts as an anaesthetic, and you will not feel it when the mosquito is sucking your blood. If you feel the sucking, then you will slap the mosquito before it finishes feeding. The saliva causes an allergic reaction, which causes skin irritation. This results in redness and might cause a bump on your skin. The bump is always a result of an allergic reaction.

6. Mosquitoes Love Carbon Dioxide

Have you ever wondered how mosquitoes locate where you are? The buzzing is always next to your face and not on your feet. Mosquitoes love carbon dioxide. When you breathe, you exhale carbon dioxide. Mosquitoes get attracted to carbon dioxide, and that is how they locate you.

Mosquitoes have an organ called maxillary palp, and it helps them follow the smell of carbon dioxide. With the special organ, mosquitoes can smell carbon dioxide from 50 yards away. This makes it hard for you to escape mosquitoes unless you wear long-sleeved clothes or apply mosquito repellent to your skin when outdoors.

Conclusion

It is interesting to learn more about mosquitoes even when you don’t like them. You can always protect yourself from mosquito bites by clearing bushes and draining stagnant water to destroy their habitat. Also, some insecticides kill adult mosquitoes and keep you safe. Other than that, sleep under treated mosquito nets and use mosquito repellent oil to avoid mosquito bites.

If you want to learn more about keeping your house and family safe from outside threats, make sure to check out the other posts on our blog!

Alan Roody
Alan Roody
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