Top 5 Facts You Need To Know About Mosquitoes

As the weather warms up and mosquitoes start becoming more active, you can expect to see these little blood suckers on your property. As mosquitoes are best known for their itchy bites and ability to spread disease, it is important to get the facts about mosquitoes. Here are the top 5 facts you need to know about mosquitoes.

1.   Only Female Mosquitoes Bite

There are more than 3,000 species of mosquitoes and they can be found in virtually every part of the world, but not all mosquitoes’ bite. While both male and female mosquitoes feed on nectar and plant sap, only female mosquitoes bite humans (and animals). This is because female mosquitoes require the protein from blood to produce their eggs.

2.   Mosquitoes Grow Up Quickly

Mosquitoes can lay approximately 100 eggs at a time. With those little blood suckers growing from an egg to an adult in only 7-10 days. If you’d like to learn more about the mosquito life cycle, just click here.

3.   Mosquitoes Are Attracted To Certain People Over Others

If you feel that you are the unlucky one covered in mosquito bites while those around you are not, it may be because mosquitoes are attracted to your body chemistry over others.

Mosquitoes are attracted to a combination of body heat, odour, the carbon dioxide that humans and animals emit when they breathe, and lactic acid – an element found in sweat. These biting pests use their receptors and vision to find their victims and can spot their next meal from 50 meters (approximately 164 feet) away. One of the ways to avoid a possible mosquito infestation is to deal with it early.

4.   Mosquitoes Are More Active During A Full Moon

The full moon is often blamed for many strange occurrences both real and imagined, well you can count mosquitoes among them. A full moon can significantly increase mosquito activity. This is because mosquitoes use visual cues and receptors to find their next meal, which is easier to do when the moon is full.

5.   Mosquitoes Can Breed In Tiny Amount Of Water

Mosquitoes lay their eggs in still or stagnant water or wet soil, and they only need a small amount of water to do so. In fact, some types of mosquitoes can breed in less than a teaspoon of water! That’s an amount that can easily be collected in old tires, children’s wading pools, bird baths, holes in trees, saucers underneath plants, and even on your patio furniture. To help protect your family from mosquitoes, it’s important to regularly remove areas of standing water near your home.

We hope you find these tips helpful in keeping your distance against mosquitoes. If you do happen to notice a lot of mosquito activity on your property, don’t hesitate to contact your local Orkin Canada branch.