Let’s dive in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Fun Facts about Mosquitoes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Who doesn’t love mosquitoes? Ok, nobody<\/em> loves mosquitoes. Some people want to make (some) species of mosquitoes go extinct using gene drives<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We’re not sure what to think about that, but we’ve put together 20 fun facts about mosquitoes to get you thinking about them!<\/p>\n\n\n\n You might think that something like a tiger, snake, or bear might be more dangerous, but surprisingly, the lowly mosquito is, in fact, the world\u2019s deadliest animal in terms of the annual number of human deaths caused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although the mosquito itself is more annoying <\/em>than harmful, the diseases that they are known to carry and spread kill an average of a million people globally every year<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n West Nile virus, Malaria, and Dengue are among the most common mosquito-borne illnesses transmitted by mosquitoes reported in the United States. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Though a lot of these cases are from travelers who contracted the disease from mosquitoes in another country – this is especially true for malaria, Zika, and Dengue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Anopheles quadrimaculatus<\/em>, Culex pipiens<\/em>, Aedes aegypti<\/em> and Aedes albopictus<\/em> are among the most common transmitters of these diseases. The Anopheles <\/em>is a malaria carrier, and the other three are known to spread various forms of encephalitis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Zika is primarily spread by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ve made a bar graph that shows the average number of human deaths per year attributed to different animals just to give you a visual as to how much more dangerous mosquitoes are as compared to other animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you can see, mosquitoes are responsible for far more human deaths than any other creature on earth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Snakes come in a very distant second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another interesting fact: of the creatures causing the most human deaths, only snakes (#2), crocodiles (#8) and hippopotamus (#10) feature in the Top 10. The rest are insects and dogs, none of which kill their victim by attacking or trying to eat them, but by spreading disease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Turns out man\u2019s best friend is also his third worst enemy… because of rabies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA)<\/a>, there are over 3,000 different species of mosquitoes. There are only a few of these species that carry and transmit diseases to humans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mosquitoes can be found everywhere humans live, in every region and climate, except Antarctica.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mosquitoes have been around since the Jurassic period. That makes them about 210 million years old!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite calling it a mosquito \u2018bite\u2019, mosquitoes don\u2019t really bite at all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They use a long tube, or proboscis<\/em>, to pierce the skin and draw blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The mosquito\u2019s proboscis has 2 tubes. While one draws blood, the other pumps saliva that contains a mild anesthetic to prevent the victim from feeling the bite, and an anticoagulant that thins the blood to keep it flowing while the mosquito sucks it up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bumps from mosquito bites are caused by a mild allergic reaction to the saliva, which causes the bite site to swell and itch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The female mosquito can draw 3 times her body weight in blood at one time. That’s the equivalent of a 125-pound human consuming a 12-gallon smoothie. Eventually, they do get full of blood<\/a>, which they provide to their young.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But don\u2019t worry \u2013 it would take approximately 1.2 million mosquitoes biting you at the same time to drain out all the blood from your body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Contrary to popular belief, mosquitoes do not suck blood for food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Male mosquitoes do not bite other creatures. And because the males don\u2019t bite, they also don\u2019t carry or transmit diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All mosquitoes, both male and female, feed on plant juices, such as nectar, to get the sugar they need for the energy to survive. Female mosquitoes, however, require extra proteins and other essential nutrients they get from blood to produce and develop their eggs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While both sexes feed on nectar, males are much more focused on this. Consequently, you can’t really use carnivorous plants<\/a> like Venus Fly Traps and Pitcher Plants to get rid of mosquitoes. They’ll essentially only get the males, which doesn’t accomplish anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In order to complete their life cycle, mosquitoes require water. The life cycle of the mosquito goes through 4 distinct phases: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The first three stages need water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mosquito larvae can only survive in stagnant water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Newly-hatched mosquitoes must rest on the surface for a few minutes to let their wings dry. Because of this, mosquitoes will not lay eggs in water that is constantly moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A female will lay a cluster of eggs just above the waterline of any container that holds water. The eggs stick to the container wall. They can survive drying out for up to 8 months. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mosquito eggs can even survive through winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Larvae hatch from mosquito eggs when water (from rain or a sprinkler) covers the eggs. The larvae use a specialized body part called a \u201csiphon\u201d to breathe air at the water’s surface. The siphon uses the water’s natural surface tension to attach to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Larvae feed on microorganisms in the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After molting three times, the larva becomes a pupa. Pupae do not feed during this stage. And it\u2019s at this time that the body of the adult mosquito forms and emerges from the skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The entire life cycle from egg to adult is about 5-10 days. Once they become an adult, their main focus is breeding. After mating, a male mosquito usually lives only for three to five days, but a female mosquito can live as long as a month or two under ideal conditions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Females within that time lay eggs every three weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just one female mosquito can lay eggs up to three times before they die. That\u2019s 900 eggs PER female.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mosquitoes are cold-blooded creatures, which means their body temperatures adjust according to their environment. That\u2019s why there tend to be more mosquitoes around during the warmer times of the year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mosquitoes that live in temperate regions tend to do a lot <\/em>of hibernating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In colder areas that have full-on freezing temperatures and lots of snow, very few species of adult mosquitoes can survive a cold winter. However, the largest of Alaskan mosquitoes, Culiseta Alaskaensis<\/em> or the snow mosquito<\/em>, overwinters as an adult under the snow, usually in leaf litter, beneath loose tree bark, or in dead tree stumps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are also several species that can survive cold winters as eggs, and in the larval or pupal stages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, some mosquitoes will lay eggs in water as it starts to freeze. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The eggs get frozen. They hatch when temperatures rise and the water starts to thaw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mosquitoes typically will not travel more than a mile from their breeding ground in search of food. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And because they don\u2019t tend to live very long, this is a bonus! If you can figure out how to reduce mosquito breeding around your home, you can make a serious dent in the population and reduce the number of mosquitoes in the area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We have a few easy tips to do just that coming up, so keep reading!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ever been kept awake by buzzing mosquitoes right near your ear? That buzzing sound comes from the beating of their wings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A mosquito beats its wings 300 to 600 times per second!<\/p>\n\n\n\n In comparison to other insects, such as flies and wasps, mosquitoes aren\u2019t the strongest of fliers and are quite slow. It is estimated that these biting insects can only fly at speeds between 1 and 1.5 mph<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is why an outdoor fan can be a great mosquito deterrent. Even if the air isn’t moving very fast, mosquitoes have a hard time flying when a fan is on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mosquitoes have two spheres on both sides of their head which have hundreds of eyes<\/a>. If seen closely, it looks like mesh. Due to these compound eyes, their vision becomes extremely contorted and they have to rely heavily on chemical and thermal receptors to find their way around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Carbon dioxide, which humans and other animals breathe out, is actually a dinner bell for mosquitoes. They might not be able to see very well, but their sensory organs can detect odors in the air more than make up for their poor vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A female mosquito can detect carbon dioxide in the air from up to 75 feet away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She uses a special organ called a maxillary palp<\/a> to follow the smell of CO\u2082 released from her next victim. She will fly back and forth through the scent trail of CO\u2082 until she locates her meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember those thermal receptors we were talking about? That\u2019s how they hone in on their victims as well. The more heat you give off, the more likely you are to get bitten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are looking at reducing your chances of getting bitten, wear light colors. Apparently white and beige are the colors that least attract mosquitoes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On the flipside, black and dark blue, along with orange and red are the colors that mosquitoes find the most appealing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is some data to suggest that zebra stripe patterns confuse mosquitoes<\/a>, and may result in fewer bites. Time to break out the striped shirts!<\/p>\n\n\n\n While you might think that mosquitoes would be deterred by scents that smell bad to us, mosquitoes are actually repelled by fragrances we often use to make our home smell nice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lavender oil, pine oil, lemongrass oil, peppermint oil, and lemon eucalyptus oil are known to and have been proven [1]<\/a> [2]<\/a> to repel mosquitoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have approved eucalyptus oil as an effective ingredient in mosquito repellent! A mixture of 32 percent lemon eucalyptus oil provides more than 95 percent protection against mosquitoes for 3 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just a head\u2019s up \u2013 burning citronella candles doesn\u2019t repel mosquitoes. Not only are they actually somewhat toxic to inhale, (so you should never<\/em><\/strong> burn them indoors) they don\u2019t actually work to drive mosquitoes away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eucalyptus is a much better choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because mosquitoes typically will not travel far from their breeding ground in search of food, doing a few things around your property can significantly reduce the number of mosquitoes around you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now it\u2019s no secret that DEET is the most effective at repelling mosquitoes. We find Cutter Backwoods Dry Insect Repellent<\/a> to be one of the most effective repellents on the market that contains DEET. Loads of Amazon reviewers agree with us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n DEET is strong stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And no, you shouldn\u2019t drink it or apply it anywhere near food (or before you eat). But applying it topically to your skin shouldn’t<\/em> pose any significant risks. It has been deemed non-toxic by the USEPA for topical use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the reality is that many of us are afraid of mosquito poisons. Companies told people DDT was safe in the 40s<\/a>, but it definitely wasn’t. So it’s not unreasonable to be concerned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Claims that DEET will cause everything from seizures to cancer (usually perpetuated by brands selling an \u201cAll-natural\u201d version) are unsubstantiated. But the repellent industry has had to adjust its marketing and product mix to a concerned public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n1. Mosquitoes Are The World\u2019s Deadliest Animal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Average](\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/UpBHBNKU_kDEPqljnZoMNaevkuLIJ3XtSs1vRRv-tebvWp5ZMU1MXgJrs_HGKyPD6VZmRwUixyiGm_qCvqxQqDhLPl7MRAKicZ1suO_uPodEdXZnXpkiAaztNTlWNs6CVr0ecv2oQ-He-Cx3-Y8ossq3wZkfCpujP4rwM7U873UeXNkmbN1O9mjBZw\")
\n\n\n\n2. There are Over 3000 Species of Mosquito<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n3. Mosquitoes Have Been Around For Ages!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n4. Mosquitoes Don\u2019t Have Teeth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/pestqueen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/pexels-pixabay-86722-e1666209482935-1024x678.jpg\")
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\n\n\n\n5. Mosquito Bites Are Caused By ‘Skeeter Saliva<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n6. Mosquitoes Drink Up To Three Times Their Weight In Blood<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/C85u7vXMa1yMeTBQ616r9KrwSaOrLlbMuARSlVlY_ICw7FLwpgWh0M0nsersvWpBUh5-U8aH_-wZJd8TmW88JL_IdO2y8u8XYmZqZfyy_s4q1QDGXsII76xGP26Dgz65z4iskO14ChvMPj1UOFnWVp740p1Ua6oP6AjuBjW2DuUYoY8SKH5roOBTsg\")
\n\n\n\n7. Only Female Mosquitoes Bite<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n8. All Mosquito Species Need Water<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n9. The Average Mosquito Lifespan Is Less Than Two Months<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n10. Female Mosquitoes Lay Up To 300 Eggs At A Time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/pestqueen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/33433918_mosquito-egg-in-water-under-the-microscope-100x-e1666210435815-1024x778.jpg\")
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\n\n\n\n11. Mosquitoes Can Hibernate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n12. Mosquitoes Stay Close To Home<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/zYDkC6XjHGJSycE7fgiHOk-eP-ImFiIOS6h9W9g71DZbSf5MyBNi2sQZIfUUIKnX9xb0dQGkqxAGgeZCGvekwahq5uy98fCJ1bmJDO4IGmjbvr4TYA2rsTaJgyViUPU5WWDLdz5Rsnp2usilRBoiOUk0Dz6YTADi4Ni7RcEh3-YKfEIfwQROF_zjQw\")
\n\n\n\n13. The Wings of Mosquitoes Make the Buzzing Sound<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n14. Mosquitoes Are Weak Flyers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n15. Mosquitoes Have Bad Eyesight<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/pestqueen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/pexels-egor-kamelev-776172-e1660673874485-1024x703.jpg\")
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\n\n\n\n16. Mosquitoes Are Attracted To Carbon Dioxide<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n17. Mosquitoes Are Attracted To Heat<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n18. Mosquitoes Are Attracted To Dark Colors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n19. Mosquitoes Are Repelled By Certain Scents<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/k2a-j80zo8n7-TC7eOWVtTSr-ZJ4RXoSVw4Dxjdti30hB1tqv9vBwxpQGPeKWtuAcRfGAF9bmrThcpAvUyHFGlBFFHv7tHYJ70GyrkRAfZX-HtkKtDgNxT1Jg3W1f993NDJasf7cKc2hniTDRqh_xWq7l1iwe2eIaHlNcIEfkD14CXDdxtVy2bqM_w\")
\n\n\n\n20. 6 Most Effective Things You Can Do To Minimize Mosquitoes Around Your House<\/h2>\n\n\n\n