Summer time is many people’s favorite season, the longer days, the warm weather, and the start of festival season all add up to more people spending more time outdoors. Unfortunately, there is one insect that just loves to ruin the days spent enjoying this amazing season – mosquitoes!
Here are some interesting facts about mosquitoes you need to know!
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Only female mosquitoes bite. Why? Because they need the protein found in blood to help their eggs develop. Worldwide, there are about 3,500 species of mosquito. 175 are found in the US. One of those (Anopheles) is a malaria carrier, while three others are known to spread encephalitis. West Virginia has the fewest species of mosquito. The mountainous state has only 26 species in total. Texas has the most with 85, and Florida is a close second with 80. Females lay their eggs in shallow water or even damp soil that’s prone to flooding. Get rid of any standing water near your home to reduce the mosquito horde. In parts of Africa and Oceania (Australia and New Zealand), mosquitos are known as Mozzies. Mosquitos don't have teeth. They mostly just feed on plant nectar and fruit. The female sucks blood with a long and serrated mouthpart called a proboscis. A mosquito can drink nearly 3 times its weight in blood! Don't start panicking though. You would have to be bitten over 1 million times to lose all of your blood. The best time to avoid mosquitoes is in the afternoon, when temperatures are hottest and the insects rest in cooler spots. Malaria infects around 250 million people each year worldwide and kills about one million, mostly children in Africa. About a fifth of those deaths can be attributed to counterfeit anti-malarial drugs. While it's true that mosquitoes spread several serious diseases and viruses, one thing they can't transmit is HIV. Not only does the virus not duplicate in the mosquito's system, but their stomach breaks the virus down. Females lay up to 300 eggs at a time, in clusters that float on the surface of stagnant water. The first 10 days of a mosquito's life are spent in water. Since they are cold blooded, mosquitoes require warm temperatures. If the mercury falls too far, they'll either go into hibernation or die. Once they are fully grown, males only live about 10 days. Females lives about six to eight weeks (unless they hibernate, then they can live up to 6 months). Females can beat their wings up to 500 times per second! Males locate females by the sound that their wings generate. Most mosquitoes never travel more than a couple miles. In fact, the majority will stay within several hundred feet of where they were hatched. Only a few salt marsh species will travel up to 40 miles (64 km). Mosquitoes will feed on more than just humans. Some species will also prey on reptiles and amphibians. With regards to height, most mosquitos fly below 25 feet (7.6 meters). Some, however, have been found in the Himalayas at more than 8,000 feet (2,438 meters)! Mosquitoes can detect humans by the carbon dioxide that we exhale. They are also attracted to sweat, perfume, and certain bacteria.also read: Amazing Facts: Awesome facts about Eagle