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Did you know the annoying buzzing sound you hear near your ear is the sound of a mosquito’s wings beating fast, or that drinking beer can make you attractive to mosquitoes? There are facts about mosquitoes that you have never heard of. Mosquitoes are far more complex than they appear. They are not just carriers of serious diseases, but are unique insects. Today, if you want to know a little bit more about mosquitoes, you have come to the right page. This blog covers 40 interesting facts you need to know about the tiny biters.
Table of Contents
10 Interesting Facts About Mosquitoes
These are 10 interesting facts about mosquitoes that you should know. Read this list and let us know which fact surprised you the most.
- Mosquitoes are from the order Diptera. This means they are true flies.
- You can find more than 3500 species of mosquitoes worldwide.
- Antarctica is the only continent where you won’t find a mosquito.
- The word mosquitoes comes from a Spanish word meaning fly.
- When a female mosquito bites, she injects saliva. This saliva consists of anticoagulants, which are a mild form of painkiller. Therefore, you won’t feel the bite immediately.
- Only female mosquitoes bite as they require a blood meal to obtain protein for their eggs.
- On the other hand, male mosquitoes do not bite anyone. They only feed on plant nectar or sugary fluids.
- Mosquitoes are attracted to the CO2 exhaled by hosts.
- They can detect CO2 even 50 yards away.
- They have heat sensors that can help them locate warm-blooded hosts.
10 Dangerous Facts About Mosquitoes
These are ten dangerous facts about mosquitoes that you must know.
- They are the deadliest animal on Earth. The reason? The spread of numerous diseases.
- Only female mosquitoes can transmit diseases because they are the ones that feed on blood.
- Mosquitoes can spread diseases like Dengue, Malaria, Chikungunya, Zika Fever, llow Fever, and West Nile Fever.
- Anopheles mosquitoes spreading Malaria can cause hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide.
- The most common mosquito-borne viral disease in the world is Dengue Fever.
- Culex mosquitoes are responsible for transmitting West Nile Virus.
- The Aedes aegypti mosquito is a primary vector for Chikungunya, Zika, Dengue, and Yellow Fever.
- Mosquitoes are even attracted to substances in sweat, like lactic acid.
- As per studies, mosquitoes have a preference for Type O blood type.
- As per studies, even drinking beer can make you attractive to mosquitoes.
What are Mosquito Facts for Kids?
These are ten interesting facts about mosquitoes for kids.
- Mosquitoes can only lay their eggs in standing water. However, only a bottle cap of water is enough.
- They have 6 legs like all other insects.
- The entire life cycle of a mosquito (egg to adult) is completed in 5 to 7 days, particularly under favourable conditions.
- They undergo complete metamorphosis. They have 4 stages of life. They first start as an egg, then move to larva, pupa, and the adult stage.
- The aquatic larvae of mosquitoes are known as “wigglers” or “wrigglers.”
- An adult male mosquito can only live for 6 to 7 days
- Mosquitoes are more attracted to dark clothing than light-colored clothing.
- Wind can affect a mosquito’s ability to fly. This is why they are less active on windy days.
- Certain types of mosquitoes are developing resistance to common insecticides. This is making it difficult to control mosquitoes.
- Mosquitoes have antennae that help them detect changes in temperature and humidity.
10 Facts about Mosquito Bites
These are some additional facts about mosquito bites that you must be aware of:
- Mosquitoes have been on Earth for more than 200 million years. They have even survived mass extinctions and climate shifts.
- Proboscis refers to the needle-like mouthpart of a mosquito
- Mosquitoes do not bite or chew skin. Instead they pierce yout skin with their proboscis to find a blood vessel and suck up fluids.
- Certain mosquito species have a proboscis so strong that it can bite through thin clothing.
- Some of the mosquito eggs can withstand dry conditions for a long period. These eggs hatch only when they are later submerged in water.
- Adult female mosquitoes can live for a week, and some can even hibernate for months.
- Many mosquito species are crepuscular. This means that they are more active during dawn and dusk.
- Aedes mosquitoes are the species that bite during the daytime
- Often, mosquitoes stay close to where they are born. They like to stay within a mile or two of the place they were born.
- The buzzing sound of the mosquito is actually their wings beating fast (about a hundred times per second)
- There is fossil evidence that mosquitoes have lived before 200 million years ago from the Jurassic period. They are older than dinosaurs!
FAQs
No. Mosquitoes can live for more than 3 days. Most of them live for about 1 to 2 weeks. However, female mosquitoes have a longer lifespan. They can live for several weeks up to a month.
Mosquitoes do not have teeth like humans. Instead, they have a long proboscis (consisting of 6 needle-like parts) that can pierce the skin. This helps them to cut through the skin, and suck blood.
Yes. Mosquitoes sleep. They enter a rest state called “quiescence” during the day. For this, they prefer cool, shaded areas. Therefore, they are less active during this period.
A mosquito can bite multiple times during its lifetime. Usually, it’s the female mosquito that bites. She bites to get blood for egg production. If you disturb her during the bite, she can come again to bite. Once she has laid her eggsshe can repeat the feeding cycle.
Mosquitoes are not a fan of strong-smelling substances like lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint, and rosemary. They also do not like the smell of garlic, smoke, and vinegar. They also don’t like essential oils like neem, tea tree, and lemon eucalyptus.
Related Reads
These are some of the interesting facts about mosquitoes. If you find it fascinating and wish to read more such interesting facts, then stay tuned to the General Knowledge page of Leverage Edu.
