We thought it would be fun to gather a group of interesting facts about mosquitoes, that you may not know, into one list. There is far more to the mosquito than meets the eye, and each year we continue to learn more and observe more about their behavior. So here are 29 facts you may not know:
- There are over 3,000 species of mosquitoes in the world. Only about 200 bites.
- Texas has the highest number of mosquito species at 85, while West Virginia has the fewest at 26.
- Male mosquitoes do not bite. It is only the female one that sucks your blood and gets the protein from it. This protein helps the mosquitoes to develop their eggs.
- Mosquitoes feed mainly on plant nectar.
- Mosquitoes cannot regulate their body temperature, so they will shade from the sun during the day.
- A female mosquito can drink 3 times her body weight in blood.
- Mosquitoes prefer the blood of horses or birds or cattle to humans.
- Mosquitoes have been around since the Jurassic period. They have been on Earth for over 210 million years!
- Mosquitoes are the deadliest animal on the planet, far more so than sharks.
- Mosquitoes can spread several life-threatening diseases including West Nile, Dengue, and Malaria.
- Many mosquitoes don’t die from a freeze. Instead, they hibernate and reawaken once temperatures climb over 50 degrees.
- A mosquito egg can lay dormant for up to 10 years, and hatch once water touches it.
- All mosquitoes need water to breed.
- A mosquito spends the first 7-10 days of its life in water.
- Mosquitoes live up to 6 months (the majority live 2-3 weeks).
- When mosquitoes hatch out of the pupae they first breed before the female searches for a blood meal. She then lays her eggs and only then will settle to feed from nectar.
- The female mosquito lays her eggs in stagnant water, 300 at a time. Only a teaspoon will do.
- Mosquitoes beat their wings 500-600 times per minute. When mating they will synchronize their wings.
- Mosquitoes only fly 1.5 miles per hour.
- Mosquitoes mostly keep to 6-8 feet above ground. They can fly up to 25’ high but they are not strong fliers and cannot manage the breeze well.
- Mosquitoes generally fly 2-3 miles at best (some saltmarsh mosquitoes can fly 100 miles, however).
- Mosquitoes use several methods to locate a blood meal. They first detect CO2 plumes, which they can do from 75’ away.
- Once a mosquito gets closer it turns to smell to home in on a victim. Sweat, beer, and a host of other odors can make us more attractive.
- Movement also attracts mosquitoes.
- When they are close mosquitoes turn to heat sensing to find us to bite.
- Mosquito traps don’t work well as they do not emit heat. They attract mosquitoes into your yard but, if you are outside, they will find you first.
- Bug zappers don’t kill mosquitoes. The light attracts them in, but they won’t fly into it. The same is true for outside lights you turn on at night.
- When the female bites she inserts her proboscis into our skin. Her saliva helps the multiple tubes inside this to slide through our skin. It also has a mild pain-killing property, to help her go undetected, and has anti-coagulant properties.
- The bumps and itch that result from a bite are the result of a common allergy to saliva. Some lucky people don’t have a reaction.
We make outside fun again by keeping mosquitoes and other outdoor pests away! Give us a call today for a free quote!
