10 Interesting Facts About Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are a big problem for everyone. Not only is the buzzing noise disturbing, but finding mosquito bites that cause red bumps is enough to make many people feel uncomfortable because of the itching caused.

In Indonesia, mosquito-borne diseases have been a serious health problem for years. This is due to Indonesia’s tropical climate, which strongly supports the breeding of many species of mosquitoes, such as Aedes aegypti.

Despite the dangers of mosquitoes to human health, there seems to be another side to mosquito life that is interesting enough to learn about. Let’s find out more about some mosquito facts that are rarely known to many people below.

Facts about mosquitoes

Rentokil has put together some facts about mosquitoes that you need to know to gain more knowledge about them.

Here are ten mosquito facts that many people rarely know:

1. The deadliest animal mosquito in the world
2. Only female mosquitoes bite humans
3. There are 3,000 species of mosquitoes around the world
4. Mosquitoes have been around since the dinosaur age
5. Mosquitoes can remember odors released by the human body
6. Mosquitoes need water to complete their life cycle
7. Mosquitoes cannot live for long periods of time
8. Mosquitoes have no teeth
9. Mosquitoes are weak aviators
10. Mosquitoes do not fly far from their breeding ground
     

1. The deadliest animal mosquito in the world

Mosquitoes are widely known as the deadliest animal in the world, causing more deaths in humans than other animals, such as sharks or snakes.

These small insects are known to kill more than 700,000 people every year and are the leading cause of infectious diseases around the world, including Dengue, Zika, and Malaria.

2. Only female mosquitoes bite humans

Why do only female mosquitoes like to suck human blood while male mosquitoes don’t?

Generally, the main foods of male and female mosquitoes are nectar and other sweet substances predominantly obtained from plants. However, male mosquitoes feed on nectar for energy and survival, as they do not need additional protein substances to lay eggs.

Female mosquitoes, meanwhile, require additional protein by feeding on human blood and laying eggs at least twice a day. Human blood consists of proteins and amino acids that are important for female mosquitoes to produce and develop their eggs.

Find out more about mosquito bites and symptoms here

3. There are 3,000 species of mosquitoes around the world
 

There are many species of mosquitoes found around the world!

Mosquitoes can be found anywhere near where humans live, in both tropical and subtropical regions, except in the world’s coldest region, Antarctica.

According to data from the American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA), there are more than 3,000 different species of mosquitoes found around the world, of which approximately 457 can be found in various regions of Indonesia.

Although some are known not to bite, there are at least three species of mosquitoes known to be the main vectors of harmful diseases in Indonesia, including:

• Aedes Mosquitoes
• Anopheles Mosquitoes
• Culex Mosquitoes
   

Find out more about mosquito species in Indonesia here

4. Mosquitoes have been around since the dinosaur age

Who would have thought that mosquitoes existed since the dinosaur age, with evidence of these fossils of insect bites identified as dating back to the Triassic or Triassic era that occurred between 199 and 251 million years ago?

5. Mosquitoes can remember odors released by the human body.

What you read above is true! A scientific study in a biological journal published in 2018 revealed that mosquitoes’ brains consist of dopamine levels that teach them what to avoid and where to go.

The study also found that mosquitoes are not only attracted to human odors but also have the ability to quickly learn and remember the odors that are released by the human body.

Mosquito preferences can also easily change if the human odors they are exposed to produce a sensation of odors they dislike. Mosquitoes will also tend to avoid individuals behaving defensively or trying to hit them, no matter how sweet their odour.

6. Mosquitoes need water to complete their life cycle

Mosquitoes undergo a complete metamorphosis that includes the aquatic and terrestrial phases in four distinct stages, including eggs, larvae, cocoons, and adults.

Although all types of mosquitoes need water to breed, each type has a different breeding habitat.

• Aedes aegypti prefers to breed near calm, clean water sources
• Unlike the species Aedes aegypti, Anopheles mosquitoes lay eggs in dirty or polluted water and do not need calm, clean water to lay eggs

7. Mosquitoes cannot live for long periods of time.

No one likes to deal with mosquitoes, but the good news is they can’t live long enough! A mosquito’s average survival span is 10–56 days, depending on several factors.

Factors that affect the longevity of mosquitoes include:

• Mosquito species
• Gender (female mosquitoes live longer than male mosquitoes)
• Weather and climate conditions
• Natural predators in the environment
   

Although mosquitoes lives are relatively short, they can also quickly complete each stage of their life cycle. The mosquito life cycle only takes 8–10 days from egg processing to adult mosquito. Therefore, don’t be surprised that mosquito disorders always feel unreduced all the time around you.

8. Mosquitoes have no teeth

Mosquitoes have no teeth to bite the victim. However, they have a tube-shaped, needle-like proboscis or trunk that penetrates the skin of a human without ever knowing it.

9. Mosquitoes are weak aviators

Many species of mosquitoes weigh only about 2.5 milligrams and are generally unable to fly above 25 feet. This is the main reason why mosquitoes are considered weak aviators in the flying insect category.

One of the best ways to remove mosquitoes in your home is to turn on your fan at a high speed indoors. The high winds exhaled by the fan make it difficult for mosquitoes to safely land on an open human body.

In addition to being beneficial for mosquito elimination in the home, the use of a fan is also beneficial for reducing body heat and perspiration, which is sensory information for mosquitoes to be able to detect the presence of humans.

10. Mosquitoes do not fly far from their breeding ground

If you think that mosquitoes often fly and travel long distances, you are wrong! Mosquitoes typically will not fly and will not travel more than a mile from their habitat or breeding ground for food.

Therefore, eliminating mosquito breeding grounds immediately around your property is the best way to reduce the number of mosquito populations around you.

How do I handle a lot of mosquitoes?

There are several ways you can protect yourself and your family from mosquito-related diseases. However, getting help from a professional repellent service is the most effective way to repel mosquitoes on your property.

If you have any concerns about mosquitoes in your home or business, contact Rentokil immediately for your local mosquito-free solution