Top 5 Myths Surrounding Mosquitoes

Being the culprit behind deadly diseases like Zika and Chikungunya, mosquitoes are those insects that are always in the news for all the wrong reasons. These tiny pests rightly exploit the lack of mosquito control measures in homes and create havoc by spreading life-threatening diseases.

People talk a lot about these blood-sucking predators but seldom try to filter the truth from all the nonsensical facts. Several theories justify why mosquitoes are attracted to some people, how they choose their prey, and how they hunt in the dark. Some are true, and others are far from everything believable.

Today, we, the team of Knockout Mosquitoes, have listed the top 5 mosquito myths that people believe in but should not. Go through this read and educate yourself about these pesky flying creatures –

Mosquitoes go behind sweet blood.

Many of us often notice that some family members are more prone to mosquito bites, while others are not bothered by one. ‘You have sweet blood’ – this is what people end up saying to those who are constantly bugged by mosquitoes.

Well, mosquitoes certainly do not have taste preferences in blood, but they do not go around looking for someone sweet to have a perfect meal. Mosquitoes are attracted to the odors you are releasing from sweat and the chemicals you are generating. These little creatures target people who produce high amounts of certain acids like uric acid, citric acid, etc.

They also have a sense of smell and are inclined towards people who emit large quantities of Carbon dioxide. Pregnant women are at a greater risk of mosquito bites as they exhale a considerably high amount of carbon dioxide during pregnancy.

This is the reason why mosquito repellent creams work. Mosquito repellent creams contain certain chemicals that ward off the mosquitoes away from you. So, it is better to get yourself layered up from such repellent or opt for other mosquito control measures if you are a mosquitoes’ favorite.

Mosquitoes die after biting you

This fact stands true for honey bees, as when it stings a person, it cannot pull back the barbed stinger back out. Along with the stinger, a part of its abdomen and digestive tract is also left behind, which causes a complete abdominal rupture and kills the bee.

However, this phenomenon certainly does not apply to a mosquito bite. Mosquitoes use the proteins present in the blood to produce offspring and lay up to three batches of eggs in their lifetime, with each batch containing around 100 larvae. Hence, it can bite you innumerable times and thrive on your blood for a long.

All mosquitoes starve on your blood

Yes, it is a myth! Many of us might be surprised to read this, as we have always believed that all mosquitoes bite. However, as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are around 3500 species of mosquitoes, out of which only some feed on humans. Even among those species, only females are the ones who feed on blood.

As mentioned above, a female requires blood to produce eggs. Hence, for apparent reasons, male mosquitoes don’t feed on blood because they do not lay eggs.

But the question arises that how do they survive?

Well, male mosquitoes feed only on plant juices. They do not need blood, but only sugar for both energy and as well as survival. Even the main reason for a female mosquito bite is not getting its belly full but just to lay eggs.

So, you can take a sigh of relief as the probability of getting infected by a mosquito bite just got reduced!

Mosquitoes hunt only in the dark.

Yes, mosquitoes prefer coming out during the dawn, but the reason is not the light but the most suitable temperature. The ideal temperature for them is above 12 degrees to 22 degrees C. So; you might even find mosquitoes hovering over you if the conditions are right for them during the daytime.

Mosquito behavior may also vary as per the species they belong to. For example, Aedes species deal with cold temperatures by overwintering eggs. These eggs hatch during the summer when the temperature becomes warmer. In other species, adults find out the right temperature themselves and overwinter the eggs. They may find cold places such as caves, cellars, and sewers and lay their eggs there irrespective of the ongoing season.