Few animals on Earth can ruin your outdoor fun as much as a mosquito can. They land, they bite, and before you can kill them, they take flight; with your blood as a prize. Inside the home, mosquitoes have the uncanny ability to find our bedrooms, and the persistent, high pitched hum of their wings is enough to wake the soundest sleeper.
So why are they so fierce? Why do they want blood? What can you do to stop these miniature vampires? And what diseases do mosquitoes carry? You can start by knowing the facts about mosquitoes; why they want blood, why they want YOUR blood, and how you can stop them from biting you in the first place.
Mosquito Facts
- The average size of a mosquito is only ½ inch long.
- Only the female mosquito bites. Mosquitoes mainly feed on fruit and plant nectar, but the female mosquito needs protein (from blood) to help her eggs mature.
- Mosquitoes don’t have teeth. Instead, mosquitoes use their needle like nose, also called a proboscis, to extract and consume fluid. Therefore, they don’t need teeth.
- There are over 2,500 species of mosquitoes on the planet.
- Most male mosquitoes only live for two weeks. Female mosquitoes often live up to a month or more.
- Female mosquitoes lay their eggs, sometimes 300 at a time, in water and soft moist soil.
- Mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide. They can smell your breath!
- Mosquitoes like beer.
- The best time to avoid mosquitoes is in the heat of the afternoon. Mosquitoes seek cooler spaces to rest from the heat of the day.
- Mosquitoes have existed on earth for over 260 million years.
- Mosquitoes can spit and suck at the same time.
- Mosquitoes can beat their wings 300-600 times per second.
Who are we kidding! There is no such thing as a mosquito ‘fun fact.’ They bite, they itch, they are a nuisance. So, let’s just skip to the next category.
Mosquitoes are vectors of many viruses and diseases transmissible to humans, livestock and pets. Because of this, mosquitoes are often perceived as a threat. When female carriers bite humans and animals to obtain blood meal, they directly transmit viruses and disease agents into the bloodstream, often causing serious health problems.
- Mosquitoes are known to transmit illness and disease. Some of the illnesses include: malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever, west nile virus, and zika.
- Mosquitoes are considered the deadliest animal in the world because of its ability to carry and transmit disease between hosts.
Prevention
Mosquitoes have been around for over 260 million years, but that doesn’t mean you’re helpless against them. Here are some helpful tips for reducing mosquito infestation:
- Replace all stagnant water at least once a week.
- Remove trash from around any standing water.
- When sleeping outdoors or in areas where mosquito populations are heavy, surround your bed with “mosquito” netting.
- Screen windows, doors and other openings with fine mesh.
- Avoid going outdoors at night.
The last word ...
Reclaim your yard – take back the night – invite friends over for a party and don’t worry about what diseases mosquitoes carry! Does this sound too good to be true?
Mosquitoes can certainly be a pest, but that doesn’t mean you have to have them around all summer long.
With our Mosquito and Tick Program, we will perform service to your yard every month, April through October ($89/month). Mosquitoes are not very strong flyers, and need to land and harbor every 10 feet, or so. What we do is eliminate the ability for mosquitoes (and ticks) to harbor in those areas.
Call 540-94-SIGMA and get started on taking back your yard this summer!
