There are many cool things you never knew about mosquitoes, but will any of them stop you getting bitten this summer?
As the heat of summer approaches, it’s time to get ready for mosquito season. The question is. can you ever really “get ready” for the annoying little intruders or are they just too smart for humans?
Indeed, many species of mosquitoes have developed their senses over time to ensure they don’t get detected, then swatted and killed.
Not to mention that, due to the fact they spread malaria and other diseases, mosquitoes are responsible for a substantial loss of human life, especially in Africa.
Did you know that some mosquitoes are so crafty that they anesthetize the area before they take blood?
Even though they’re only tiny, they can cover an impressive 2.5 miles per day, which means they can travel far to get the blood they want so badly.
Today, the Lifedaily team has researched and compiled 10 cool things you never knew about mosquitoes that we are sure you will find fascinating:
1. There are around 3,500 species of mosquitoes, but only a couple hundred feast on human blood.
2. Only female mosquitoes actually bite; the males eat leaves and other vegetation, whereas females need a blood meal before they can lay eggs.
3. The female’s saliva contains an anti-coagulant that lets her more easily suck up her meal. The saliva induces an allergic response from her victim’s immune system; that’s why your skin gets an itchy bump.
4. Mosquitoes are attracted to the carbon dioxide, lactic acid and octenol found in our breath and sweat, and they also sense the heat and humidity that surrounds our bodies.
5. Malaria, which is spread by mosquitoes, infects around 250 million people each year worldwide and kills about one million, mostly children in Africa.
6. Some species can live up to a year or more. But in general, most live probably three or four days as an adult.
7. A mosquito’s wing beats up to 600 times per second.
8. Mosquitoes can sense carbon dioxide up to 100 feet away. Since human beings exhale carbon dioxide through the nose and mouth, mosquitoes are attracted to our heads, perhaps leading to more incidents of “self-slapping while sleeping” than any other cause.
9. An average mosquito weighs 2 to 2.5 milligrams, which would seem to enable them to fly more swiftly, but not so. Mosquitoes fly at speeds between 1 and 1.5 miles per hour, making them one of the slowest flying insects of all.
Did you know any of the 10 facts above about mosquitos? If not, we hope you learnt something new today.
If you know any wacky or interesting facts or cool stuff about mosquitoes please share them with us by using the comments feed below.
