Mosquitoes are renowned and generally detested because of their proneness to drain blood from a sliver of any bare skin at nightfall, leaving you with an itchy red bump that is relentless for days. Not only are mosquitoes irritating with biting and buzzing — they are very lethal when carrying diseases such as malaria, West Nile, and Zika.
With climatic changes such as more humidity and heat in the East Coast and Midwest, mosquito season is taking longer. Mosquito control services in Houston TX have been reporting more people experiencing manifold mosquito bites in their lives.
But regrettably, mosquitoes can be classified among biting insects that are hard to avoid unless you live in space.
Apart from how irritating mosquito bites can be, many individuals do not know a lot concerning some exciting things about them. Here are five things you didn't know about mosquitos:
1. Male Mosquitoes Don’t Bite
Typically, both male and female mosquitoes feed on honeydew and nectar plants for nutrition. Nonetheless, male mosquitoes entirely depend on the nectar of flowers, while female ones need blood meals to grow their eggs.
The blood of human beings is rich in iron and protein, which are necessities for female mosquitoes in helping them yield and grow their eggs. When a female mosquito has drawn enough blood from her prey, she immediately lays eggs.
The only female mosquito bites. Apart from depending on the protein from human blood to yield their eggs, it also drinks it to remain hydrated. The thirsty a female mosquito is, the more hostile it becomes. On the other hand, male mosquitos get their energy and survival from plant sap, flower nectar, and plant nectar.
2. A Mosquito Becomes a Better Hunter When Infected
A female mosquito is already insatiable, bloodthirsty. However, research has shown that the infected mosquitoes with dengue disease, which spread to humans, are more starving for blood. The virus preps them with an exact concoction for blood feasting. More so, the virus controls the mosquito genes to keep it hungrier while improving its sense of smell, thus increasing its capability to perceive prospective hosts.
3. The Number of Mosquito Bites are Limitless
Female mosquitoes bit boundless times and continually feed on human blood until they are full. If they are distracted by the activities of the hosts before they are satisfied, they will try again to feed on other hosts, both animals, and humans, to get enough blood to yield and grow their eggs.
After sufficient blood meals, the female mosquitoes will rest between two or three days while the blood is digested before egg-laying and preparing to suck blood again.
4. Mosquitoes Bite Some Individuals More than Others
A female mosquito uses some physical information mixture of olfactory, thermal, and visual to reach its targets. Here are some exact factors, which make it easy for mosquitoes to be attracted to humans:
- Visual cues
- Carbon dioxide
- Moisture
- Body odor
- Body heat
There are no reasons for female mosquitoes to select their hosts. However, some people are more alluring to a mosquito than others. For instance, a mosquito is attracted to particular individuals with strong body odors emitted from scented lotions and perfumes.
You are more susceptible to a mosquito bite after an intense workout. You inhale more heavily and exhale carbon dioxide, which becomes a sign that allures a mosquito to you. Also, individuals with light-colored clothing hardly attract mosquitoes than people wearing heavy-colored dresses.
5. Different Mosquitoes are Active and Bite at Diverse Times
The biting pattern of mosquitoes depends on various factors, but one of the primary key factors is their species. For instance, some mosquito types are recognized as active mainly during nighttime, while others are identified to be active during the day.
Anopheles Mosquitoes
These are the malaria carriers and are more active during the night and in the early hours of the morning. Conversely, Culex mosquitoes bite in the nighttime from about midnight to five am.
The Aedes Aegypti Mosquitoes
These are recognized as the carriers of some life-deadly diseases such as dengue, Zika virus, chikungunya, and yellow fever virus. They are most active about two after sunrise and three hours before sunset.
Final Thought
Mosquitoes are everywhere during fall, summer, and spring. Although they are acquainted with humankind, many individuals are not informed more about them. In fact, mosquitoes are the most misjudged insects that are seen daily.
