Facts about mosquitoes

The world over, mosquitoes are some of the most hated insects. These pesky malaria-carrying pests survive on sucking the blood out of any living thing and especially humans. A lot of lies and myths have been peddled concerning the mosquito.

This article seeks to give you some facts about this nuisance

Mosquitoes are the deadliest animals

You’re aware that the anopheles mosquito carries the malaria-causing virus. Think about this; malaria killed an estimated 450,000 people in 2018 alone. No other disease can boast of such a number. Besides, it carries other deadly diseases like dengue fever, yellow fever, Zika, and many others. As if that is not enough, the insect carries the heartworm, which is dangerous to your dog.

Mosquitoes lifespan

An adult mosquito has a lifespan of 5-6 months. But only a few can live that long due to the risk of being killed by the animal they prey on. On average, most adult females live for three weeks, enough time to breed and cause havoc. Their eggs can dry out and still hatch after eight months- no wonder mosquitoes are here to stay.

Males feed on nectar while females bite humans

There is nothing personal with a mosquito suckling your blood. Female mosquitoes take blood as a meal because they need protein to reproduce. Males don’t reproduce, and therefore they will rarely be present in your home unless you’re keeping bushes.

Mosquitoes fly slowly

The average flight speed for a mosquito is 1. Miles per hour, which means if there were a competition, it would come last. However, it is the most destructive of all.

Some mosquitoes don’t bite human

Not all species of mosquitoes bite humans. Some specialize in other animals and don’t bother with the humans. An example here is the Culiseta melanura bites birds almost exclusively. Uranotaenia Sapphirina also feeds on amphibians and reptiles.

All mosquitoes need water to breed

A few inches of water is what a female mosquito needs to deposit her eggs. The tiny larvae develop so fast in birdbaths, roof gutters, and other places with stagnant water. Some puddles left after a rainstorm are perfect breeding areas for these insects. Therefore if you want to keep off mosquitoes from your home, clear any standing water.

Mosquitoes detect carbon dioxide 75 feet away

Carbon dioxide is the perfect signal for mosquitoes for an ideal meal- humans, and animals. They have a high sensitivity to carbon dioxide in the air. Once the female senses CO2 around, she flies back and forth until she locates her victim.

VC Coating kills mosquitoes instantly

You can try as many insecticides, but you’ll realize that most of them aren’t effective. Again, they have chemicals that are harmful to your health and the environment. VC coating by Vectorcide International Ltd doesn’t release toxic chemicals into the atmosphere, and once you apply it in your house, it can last for 12 months.

You may want to ask, now that mosquitoes are dangerous and a threat to human life, why not wipe them out? It is almost impossible to wipe out species that have existed for millions of years. They also balance the ecosystem and, therefore, necessary for the survival of other animals.