What do mosquitoes eat besides blood, in particular the male mosquito?

Mosquitoes belong to the family of blood-sucking dipterous insects. The bloodsucker has a thin brown or black body, 4-14 ml long. The insect has transparent wings and an abdomen covered with segments.

Mosquitoes have a special antenna. It contains the olfactory organs and hearing receptors, which act as a temperature sensor. Thanks to this sensor, the mosquito finds its victim.

The main food of an insect during reproduction is human or animal blood. But not everyone knows what mosquitoes eat in nature. In fact, bloodsuckers eat the juice or nectar of plants.

The favorite habitats of mosquitoes are areas with a humid, hot climate, which allows them to breed all year round. Also, blood-sucking insects are common in almost all parts of the earth, with the exception of Antarctica.

In temperate climates, mosquitoes hibernate in winter and wake up in summer. Diptera even live in the Arctic, where spring lasts only a couple of weeks. But this time is enough for bloodsuckers to drink lymph from local residents or deer for reproduction. Since mosquitoes are ubiquitous, it is important to know what they eat and how to distinguish a vegetarian male from a blood-sucking female.

Who are mosquitoes?

Mosquitoes are a family of dipterous insects that belong to the long-whiskered group. Mosquitoes have a rather complex classification. The family is divided into 2 subfamilies, one of which, in turn, is divided into tribes, then into genera and species.

Appearance of a mosquito Interesting fact: among insects, only females bite, since males have underdeveloped jaws. Female mosquitoes are part of the midges - a group of dipterous blood-sucking insects, which also includes midges, mosquitoes and other families.

Natural enemies

Mosquitoes have many enemies around who want to eat them. It is a delicacy for dragonfly larvae. Besides her, the rest of the inhabitants of the rivers and seas try to swallow them.

There are also predators among plants that catch mosquitoes and use them as a source of food. With the help of an adhesive composition, butterwort, flycatcher, sundew, and bladderwort plants capture the mosquito.

Birds: swift, swallow, oriole, wren, chaffinch, starling and tit. Reptiles: frog, newt, toad, chameleon, lizard and turtle.

The bat and the common mouse, as well as the hedgehog, love to feast on mosquitoes.

Features of the oral apparatus

The oral apparatus, which allows the mosquito to feed, is distinguished by its piercing-sucking type. It is characterized by a rather complex structure, is located in the lower part of the mouth, and has the shape of a proboscis tube. The sharp stylets of the jaw are also located here.

It is important to understand that a mosquito can be a carrier of dangerous infections - malaria, yellow fever, West Nile fever, tularemia.

A human bite occurs as follows: lowering the proboscis inside the skin to the depth where the capillaries are located. Having cut a hole, the insect can easily suck out the blood.

Types of mosquitoes

There are more than three thousand species of mosquitoes. In the article we will consider the most common varieties that people most often encounter. Not all of the known and widespread mosquitoes in our area drink blood. Let's find out which mosquitoes can cause harm to humans, and which are completely harmless.

Common mosquito (squeaker)

An adult squeak mosquito reaches 7 mm, the legs are long, the wings are narrow and transparent, the body color is gray. They belong to the species Culex. Females are superior to males in body size and antennae length. In males, the proboscis is not so developed as to pierce the skin of a mammal, so the basis of their diet is plant foods. Only females bite and drink lymph. The life cycle of a mosquito does not exceed 48 days. The habitat and reproduction are places with high levels of humidity. This species is especially common in the central zone of our country.

Malaria mosquito (Anopheles)

Anopheles (malarial mosquito) is especially dangerous for humans, as it carries parasites and viruses that cause severe pathologies: plasmodium and malaria. In size they practically do not differ from ordinary representatives of this family. The only peculiarity: long hind legs. The habitat of this mosquito is places near bodies of water, since reproduction is possible only in the presence of an aquatic environment.

Centipede mosquito (Karamor)

The centipede mosquito can reach a length of 8 cm, so it is often confused with the malaria mosquito. Karamor is the largest species in the world. It lives in places with high levels of humidity: near water bodies, in forest thickets and in swamps. This type of mosquito is not dangerous for humans, since the insect’s diet consists exclusively of plant foods. However, this species can cause significant damage to agricultural crops. This is especially true for larvae, which are extremely gluttonous.

Winter mosquitoes (Chionea)

In addition to the Karamora, winter mosquitoes differ from the above species by their impressive size. The basis of their diet is products of decomposing plants. They do not pose a danger to humans, since they are not among the blood-sucking insects. Adults can reach sizes up to 2 cm. They do not disappear all year round, so they can be seen even in the cold season.

Tiger mosquitoes

It is distinguished by the presence of white stripes on the body and legs, larger size and darker color. Habitat: subtropics and tropics. They are aggressive. They are carriers of dangerous infectious diseases, for example, dengue or yellow fever, and therefore pose a danger to humans. The basis of the diet of mosquitoes of this species is the blood of mammals. The bites are very painful.

Stinging mosquitoes

An adult stinging mosquito reaches 12 mm. The habitat of insects of this species is forest thickets. The color of the insects is beige-yellow, there are dark spots on the wings, and white rings on the legs. Females differ from males in having a long proboscis and shaggy antennae. Stinging mosquitoes pose a danger to humans, as they spread a serious disease - tularemia.

Mosquito Dergun

The habitat of these insects is dense vegetation on the shores of small bodies of water. The lifespan of mosquitoes of this species is no more than 5 days. For humans, the jerk mosquito does not pose a danger, since it feeds exclusively on plant foods. The adult is dark brown in color with relatively long legs.

What do mosquitoes eat in the swamp?

It is known that females drink predominantly lymph. In swamps, they select food sources such as frogs, birds or fish.

Not many people know what a mosquito in a swamp feeds on, other than blood. Thus, the centipede prefers to eat humus or algae. Adult mosquitoes absorb plant juices or nectar.

Here's what different types of mosquitoes eat in the swamp:

1. Bolotnitsa. The meadow feeds on plant nectar and the remains of rotting algae.
2. Zvonets. The jerk mosquito also eats vegetation. The insect lives in the reeds. The color of the pest is green-yellow or dark brown.
3. Karamora. The centipede does not drink blood, but feeds on plant sap or nectar. Caramora larvae have the greatest appetite; they eat algae, roots, and young vegetation in water and on land.

Physiological needs

Insects accumulate their main reserves of energy at the larval stage; being an imago, they can freely be content with flower nectar. Glycogen is released from its carbohydrates, which is actively consumed during the flight. A male mosquito lives about 20 days.

In addition to carbohydrates, the female requires protein, lipids, and iron. It receives these components from the blood. With such a diet, it can live on average 40 days, in some cases it lives up to 60. If eggs are laid without replenishing protein reserves, the body weakens, and the insect dies after 20 days. At one time, the female is able to eat about 5.2 ml of blood, her weight is 3 g.

External differences between female and male mosquitoes

The usual mosquito family consists of male representatives. Initially, the lifestyle of insects is no different. Subsequently, the female mosquito drinks blood as it expends more energy. Males continue to be content with little, often gathering on the flowers of thistle and elderberry. Who bites - a male or a female, you can definitely answer “she”.

Female and male mosquito

The gender of mosquitoes can be distinguished by their appearance if you look closely. Mosquitoes are always larger, body size is about 7 mm, males grow to a maximum of 5 mm. There are differences in the structure of the oral apparatus. Both sexes have a proboscis, but females have an additional row of teeth with which they pierce the skin and prevent the wound from closing.

The main difference is in the shape of the mustache. The mosquito with the furry antennae is a male. Outwardly, they resemble a brush and are clearly visible on a small head. In mosquitoes they are long, in the form of branches. What a male mosquito looks like is shown in the photo below. There you can also see what a female mosquito looks like.

On a note!

There are about 100 species of mosquitoes in our area. The most common is normal. Lives in wild nature and urban areas. The largest swamp mosquito in size. Urban ones are weak, not so active, females grow up to a maximum of 5 mm, males up to 3. Another striking representative is the centipede. Externally it is distinguished by its large dimensions - up to 60 mm. It feeds on nectar, lives in the wild, does not need protein reserves or blood.

What is the world like without bloodsuckers?

If we imagine a hypothetical situation that all mosquitoes have died out, then the world will cease to exist in the form in which it currently exists.

Mosquitoes, although very small insects, which can only be examined in detail, are numerous and play an important vital role for many living beings and even humans.

1. Along with them, some species of fish that feed only on these insects will disappear. One of the most famous is Gambusia. She prefers to use malaria mosquito larvae as her main food source. Not all species will die, but those that survive will have to find other food.
2. Populations of fauna representatives such as toads, frogs and bats will die out or significantly decrease. As a result, they will have to look for a new object to eat and change the number of butterflies, caterpillars and other organisms.
3. Changes in the plant world. Many plants will simply disappear, since their pollination occurs precisely thanks to male mosquitoes, because it is directly dependent on gender. And if, then males feed on nectar. The number of representatives of the plant world, which could fully develop thanks to fertilizers after the work of insect larvae, will also decrease. This will not cause significant damage to agriculture, but certain representatives of the flora will die out irrevocably.
4. Birds. The absence of mosquitoes will not cause the birds to die. But they will have to look for other options than to eat. In cities, it will be very difficult for representatives such as swifts and swallows to find food sources. Their populations will decline significantly. Birds will also have to leave urban areas.
5. Reindeer relocation. These animals are afraid of mosquitoes and do not live in areas where there are a large number of bloodsuckers. The disappearance of mosquitoes will expand the ranges of deer, which will put a significant burden on other biocenoses.
6. Solving problems with certain diseases. Mosquitoes are: malaria, filaria larvae, etc. People will get sick and die less often.
7. Increasing the development area. Some lands still remain uncultivated simply because there are huge numbers of mosquitoes living there. If they disappear, people will be able to develop new lands, which will certainly affect the balance of the entire living world.

Thus, the role of mosquitoes in human life and nature has been determined by natural laws since the creation of the world. A person should not resist them or try to change them

It is important to maintain the existing harmony

Among the dipterous insects, there are the well-known blood-sucking mosquitoes, which are familiar to us from childhood for their cunning. They belong to the family of long-livers and have lived on our planet for more than 145 million years.

Nutrition of sugars in vegetation

Small and large mosquitoes can feed on nectar or food of plant origin, since they contain substances necessary for replenishment.

Among the preferred plants are:

• Burdocks;
• Blooming tansy;
• Yarrow latifolia.

What mosquitoes choose to eat depends on their habitat. For example, forest dwellers and inhabitants of summer cottages choose tansy - at the same time one flower can accumulate up to 10 individuals. Tansy contains fructose, which has a beneficial effect on the health of this type of pest.

Habitat

Common mosquitoes live almost everywhere; the species is considered the most common. These insects can be found on all continents, even in the Arctic and Antarctica. True, in harsh conditions they are active for only a few weeks a year, but during this time they manage to bear numerous offspring.

The lifestyle of mosquitoes is inextricably linked with humans, whose blood is necessary for females to reproduce. Therefore, wherever people live, there are these blood-sucking insects. The habitats of insects even depend on their gender. So a male can spend his entire life in a forest clearing. The female is forced to move in search of warm-blooded prey. Most mosquitoes are found in places with high humidity.

Mosquito feeding

The basis of nutrition is sugars of plant origin. Rarer types of food for mosquitoes are exofloral nectar and honeydew. Female mosquitoes combine plant food and blood, while male mosquitoes feast only on flower nectar and plant juices.

Feeding of females

The “thirst for blood” in females is explained by the fact that they need animal protein to produce eggs after mating. For this reason, they attack humans and mammals, and some species bite birds and reptiles.

While biting the skin, saliva is simultaneously introduced into the microscopic hole, which contains anticoagulants - they prevent blood clotting and, consequently, its thickening. Therefore, liquid blood is easily absorbed by the female mosquito through her long proboscis. The preferred hunting time for mosquitoes is the evening and night hours, when there are no scorching rays of the sun.

Saliva contains substances that cause an allergic reaction in humans. For this reason, the bite site sometimes becomes swollen and red, and severe itching appears in the affected area. The use of antihistamines will help relieve unpleasant symptoms.

How do they choose their victims?

Despite their small size, mosquitoes have excellently developed sense organs. All over the surface of the body there are receptors that can recognize the presence of a person at a distance of 40–50 m. The characteristics of the odor that the insect detects are the fundamental criterion in choosing a victim and a sign of the start of an attack.

Most of the mosquito's olfactory receptors are tuned to recognize substances present in the blood and sweat of a person or animal. The species Anopheles gambiae, which carries the most dangerous malaria, almost always chooses only humans as a source of food, although observations carried out by scientists have shown that in the absence of an available alternative, the female will ultimately attack any victim because she is in dire need of protein food.

When searching for a source of blood, the female is guided by:

1. The amount of carbon dioxide. This compound attracts insects because it is produced by humans and animals when they breathe. Along with it, a person exhales a whole list of other chemicals: octenol and various acids. Mosquitoes, thanks to their sensitive receptors, painstakingly distinguish this composition and analyze it, choosing the most preferable victim. So, in an adult, a larger volume of substances comes out of the respiratory tract, so they are bitten more often than small children. The “preference list” of bloodsuckers also includes pregnant victims, whose ratio of exhaled substances changes when expecting a child.
2. Body odor. It depends on colonies of bacteria living near the gonads. Sweat, as a biological fluid, has an unpleasant odor for humans, but is very attractive to mosquitoes. Therefore, a person who has been doing hard work for a long time will be attacked faster than someone who has just left and soul.
3. Skin discharge. Mosquitoes are good at capturing the substances contained in them and rush to their prey.
4. Blood type. According to the results of the studies, mosquitoes “like” the first group, and they attack people from the second group the least often.
5. Lactic acid. It is released along with sweat and exhaled carbon dioxide.

There are other parameters by which bloodsuckers choose a victim. These include the temperature of a person’s body, the movements he makes, and even the color of his clothes. But it is the aroma of a person and the composition of the biological fluids he secretes that play a key role.

Male nutrition

What male mosquitoes eat makes them completely harmless, because all their lives they look for food of plant origin. Substances necessary for their short life accumulate in their body during the time they are in the larval stage. Therefore, their oral apparatus lacks cutting elements as unnecessary.

Choice of victim

Although the insect is small in size, it has an excellently developed level of sensory organs. The entire surface of the body has receptors that recognize the presence of people at a distance of up to 50 meters. If we talk about the fundamental criterion for selecting victims for attack, then the smell captured by the mosquito is taken into account.

A larger number of olfactory receptors are aimed at recognizing substances that are present among the components of lymph, sweat of people and animals. The species Anopheles gambiae, which carries a dangerous disease - malaria, almost constantly chooses humans for food, although it has been proven that the lack of available alternative sources forces the female to attack any victims due to an urgent need for proteins.

Mosquito antennae contain 72 receptors with different purposes.

While searching for a food source, the female pays attention to:

1. Carbon dioxide - this compound attracts insects because it is produced by humans and animals during respiration. In addition to this substance, other chemical elements are released, including octenol and acids. Mosquito receptors make it possible to identify them, analyze them, and then select the most preferable victims. Since adults exhale more compounds, they suffer from bites more often than small children. In addition, bloodsuckers love to attack pregnant women, since they differ in the ratio of exhaled components.
2. Body aroma. The smell is influenced by bacteria that live near the gonads of people. Sweat is a biological fluid that has a not very pleasant aroma for people, but attracts pests. Because of this, individuals who have been doing heavy work for a long time will be attacked faster than those who have just taken a shower.
3. Skin discharge. Mosquitoes are excellent at catching substances contained in skin secretions.
4. Blood type - according to research, mosquitoes prefer those with the first group, they try to avoid the second.
5. Lactic acid, which is released through sweat and carbon dioxide when breathing.

There are a number of other parameters in relation to which the choice of victim occurs, including body temperature, the movements that a person makes, sometimes even the shade of clothing plays a role. But the key role, of course, is aroma and body fluids.

What do mosquitoes eat in the forest?

Many people are interested in what ordinary mosquitoes eat in the forest. After all, people rarely go out into nature. To obtain the necessary components, insects attack animals and birds. Pests do not notice obstacles on the way to food. They are not stopped by fur or hard feathers. It takes them 2–5 seconds to overcome this obstacle. Mosquitoes show dexterity in places where there is no food.

Pests easily penetrate through the skin or fur. Although their proboscis is small, they receive the required amount of blood. After all, they suck out lymph at a tremendous speed.

Maximum mosquito activity occurs in the pre-dawn hours and at sunset. Receptors and olfactory organs are used to search for prey. Some types of parasites are able to select a potential victim at a distance of 10 meters.

How does a mosquito sleep in the summer, where does it hibernate, and at what temperature does it die?

The activity of a mosquito directly depends on the air temperature where the insect is located. When the temperature drops significantly, for example, at the beginning of autumn, the bloodsuckers disappear, since such a temperature is not suitable for them to reproduce.

• Insects overwinter where they live. Mosquitoes do not fly to another area, country, etc.
• Gaps, cracks in walls, secluded corners, windows, curtains - all these are ideal places for mosquitoes to hibernate.
• Mosquitoes do not disdain various non-residential buildings, such as sheds, garages, etc.
• It is important to note the fact that, in principle, mosquitoes do not need to sleep. If environmental conditions are suitable for it, it will actively continue its activities, reproduce and live.

Optimum temperature for mosquitoes +15-20°C

• High temperatures are more destructive for these insects. The higher the air temperature, the shorter the mosquito's life will be. As for low temperatures, bloodsuckers hibernate at above-zero temperatures, however, if the climate changes slightly and becomes colder, mosquitoes will simply go into their other state - torpor.
• The optimal temperature for the life of these insects is considered to be +15-20°C. It is difficult to say unambiguously what mark on the thermometer will indicate that mosquitoes will die at this temperature. However, temperatures of -7°C and above 28-30°C will have a negative effect on mosquitoes, as a result of which they may die.

Mosquito breeding

During the mating period, the female mosquito uses its wings to produce a characteristic thin squeak. The resulting sound vibrations are caught by males through sensitive antennae. Depending on the age of the individual, the sound of the squeak also changes. It is noteworthy that males are able to distinguish these sounds and show preference for more mature females.

Mating takes place in a swarm formed by mosquitoes. The life cycle of a mosquito consists of four stages:

• egg;
• larva;
• chrysalis;
• imago (adult).

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On average, the number of eggs in a female’s clutch is 30-150 (every 2-3 days). Sometimes this number increases to 280. The reproduction process depends on whether the females have consumed enough blood.

Suitable conditions for laying eggs: the surface of standing water (or weakly flowing), soil on the shore, objects floating in the water. Requires high levels of moisture. If the eggs float on water, they form a kind of raft.

The larvae emerge over the next 48 hours from the lower end of the egg. Some types of mosquitoes lay eggs throughout the winter. On the fourth molt, a pupa emerges from the larva. The process of larval development and duration depend on the ambient temperature. As a rule, individuals become adults after a week or two. Sometimes this takes longer - about a month.

Nutrient Requirements

Nutrient requirements also depend on the stage at which a particular individual is:

• The larvae require a maximum supply of energy, so they devote all their time to searching for microorganisms and algae that can be consumed as food. At this stage of the life cycle, the larva must accumulate the maximum amount of nutrients in order to subsequently transform into an adult.
• After the larva has collected enough nutrients, it turns into a pupa. The cocoon spends most of its time on the surface of the reservoir, and breathing occurs through a breathing tube. At this moment, the insect does not need food, since its metabolism slows down greatly.

Larvae in water

Drinking blood

Only females have a need for protein contained in the blood of humans and animals. To find a potential source, pests monitor the heat emitted by people's bodies or the aroma of carbon dioxide that is released when people exhale. In parks and in nature, the insect feeds on the lymph of an animal or livestock.

According to studies, scientists have determined whether mosquitoes will attack birds. Yes, they can consume the lymph of certain species of birds, and the food chain of bloodsuckers also includes rodents. Also, laboratory conditions made it possible to find out how much blood the pests drink at one time. For example, an insect weighing 3 milligrams drinks about four to five milligrams of blood.

To be able to provide constant nutrition to a female, certain conditions must be present. For example, egg laying should be carried out in an area where there is a high level of humidity and an acceptable temperature. Because of this, females choose places near ponds, swamps or containers where water has stagnated. If we talk about urban conditions, then the choice falls on basements.

Description

The common mosquito (in Latin Culex pipiens) is a type of blood-sucking mosquito distributed throughout the globe.
Insects are carriers of various diseases of humans (for example, meningitis, Japanese encephalitis, helminthic infestations) and animals (for example, avian malaria). Mosquitoes are small insects whose size rarely exceeds 7 mm. Female mosquitoes are larger than males, but even their weight rarely reaches 1 g, unless you weigh an individual that has just sucked enough blood.

Another name for the insect is the squeak mosquito. The mosquito squeak that irritates people is the sound made by the wings of an insect, which it flaps 500 - 700 times per second. But at the same time, the mosquito’s flight speed is low, the maximum value is about 3.2 km/h. Insects rarely move long distances, preferring to live and hunt in a very limited area.

Attention! The role of mosquitoes in nature is difficult to overestimate. Each generation takes many chemical elements from reservoirs, which subsequently enter the soil with the body of the dead insect, nourishing it. In addition, mosquitoes are an integral part of a large number of food chains.

How many times can the same mosquito bite?

Mosquitoes have no limit on the number of times they can bite. As a rule, the female tries to be completely satisfied with blood in one bite. If something bothers her, she flies away for a short time, and then returns to her victim again. When fully saturated, the female needs some time to digest the blood and also lay eggs while her body has enough “building” materials.

Mosquito under a microscope

Then she will start searching for food again. For example, thanks to observation of mosquitoes, it was possible to find out that the insect is capable of biting at least 15 times per day. A female mosquito may go through a couple of cycles in which feeding alternates with laying eggs.

Why do mosquitoes bite some people more than others?

Multiple mosquito bites

Surely many have seen something like this - when mosquitoes bite one person more actively than others. This is not an accident, because insects are guided by certain chemicals released later. Experts point to several factors that attract mosquitoes:

1. Physical exercise. Actively moving, a person begins to sweat more. The amount of lactic acid increases, which attracts insects. Body temperature also increases.
2. Blood type. Surprisingly, mosquitoes like a certain blood type, namely I. Scientists believe that carriers of this group emit a special odor that insects recognize.
3. Alcohol. For unknown reasons, mosquitoes are more likely to bite people who have alcohol in their blood.
4. Pregnancy. Women in late pregnancy exhale more carbon dioxide (21%). A variety of receptors allow insects to “measure” its content in the air. A similar rule applies to tall and heavy people – mosquitoes also bite them more often.
5. Color of clothes. This is not a physiological factor, but dark shades of clothing attract mosquitoes more than light ones.
6. Genes. Scientists have found that there is a certain connection between bites and at the genetic level. People with certain genes produce substances that repel mosquitoes. But this issue has been little studied.

Interesting fact: According to scientists, it takes about 1,200,000 mosquitoes to drink all the blood of a person.

Who gets bitten

Insects attack people not because they are the most attractive to them. The mosquito receives more benefit from the blood of cattle or rodents. After all, it contains amino acids that are beneficial for the body. But man is an accessible source of nutrition. In this case, people are selected who have the second or first blood group. After all, these blood groups are distinguished by the maximum concentration of useful components and protein.

Pests are also attracted to the heat that comes from the human body. As body temperature rises, the object becomes more attractive. Therefore, mosquitoes attack certain categories of people:

• Athletes.
• Overweight people.
• A man with a bad heart.
• A person who has alcohol in his body.

The insect is attracted to the carbon dioxide that a person exhales or sweat.

Why does a mosquito bite itch?

The cause of itching lies in the composition of the female's saliva. It contains a protein that causes allergies in the body and the corresponding symptoms: redness, swelling, itching.

Interesting: Animals of the Red Book of Russia List with photos, names, descriptions, characteristics, rare species, videoTrace from a mosquito bite

During the first bite, such phenomena may not occur at all, since the body is not yet familiar with proteins of this type. Experts also believe that gradually one becomes accustomed to the bites and they become almost invisible. Some people who are particularly sensitive to mosquito saliva may experience a more severe allergic reaction.

Precautionary measures

While male mosquitoes are not dangerous to humans, female mosquitoes can be a serious nuisance. It is believed that a healthy person is theoretically able to withstand up to 500 bites from these insects. A larger amount can cause death due to painful shock and intoxication. However, even a few stings can cause severe allergic reactions in some people.

To protect yourself, you should know that mosquitoes do not tolerate heat well and prefer to hunt in the shade or in the evening. They do not like windy weather and open areas of space, as they are easily blown away by air flow. It is better to protect your home with mosquito nets on the windows. Loose clothing significantly reduces the number of bites. Mosquitoes do not like the smell of anise, eucalyptus, wheatgrass, elderberry, lavender, and mint.

Excessive sweating makes a person more “attractive” and noticeable. Ultrasonic repellers that emit vibrations at waves that are “unpleasant” for insects, as well as fumigators that release chemical reagents, can help. Some drive away uninvited guests, others kill them. Topical application of repellents to the skin is also relevant.

Salicylic or boric alcohol, a solution of soda, vinegar, tea tree oil, and calendula tincture help to some extent relieve itching and swelling after bites. If you are predisposed to allergic reactions, it is better to have special antihistamines with you.

Mosquito-borne diseases

The full list of diseases is much wider. They spread viruses, parasites, and bacteria. The most interesting thing is that all these diseases are harmless to insects. List of diseases:

• malaria is the name of many parasitic diseases;
• tularemia – infection;
• eastern equine encephalitis (relevant for the eastern United States);
• West Nile virus is a viral fever found in the United States;
• viral diseases transmitted by a special species - the yellow fever mosquito;
• filariasis;
• HIV infection – transmission is theoretically possible, but unlikely

Video

And in conclusion, an interesting documentary about one dangerous species of mosquito - “killer mosquitoes”.

Author: Pavel Chaika, editor-in-chief of Poznavaika magazine

When writing the article, I tried to make it as interesting, useful and high-quality as possible. I would be grateful for any feedback and constructive criticism in the form of comments on the article. You can also write your wish/question/suggestion to my email [email protected] or Facebook, with respect, the author.

Author page

This article is available in English -

Mosquito.

Folk remedies for mosquitoes

It is quite difficult to get rid of bloodsuckers using traditional methods; they serve more as a deterrent.

The most popular options are to use:

• Spices – they have a rich aroma that mosquitoes cannot tolerate. Cloves, thyme, and rosemary are best suited here. It is recommended to place bags of spices around the entire perimeter of the room;
• Essential oils are a great option for repelling. The most effective oils are citrus fruits, lavender, and cloves. They must be applied to the skin and clothing. Also, the result will be obtained by applying oils along the window opening, in the ventilation shaft.

What don't mosquitoes like? How to protect yourself from them?

Penetrating inside a person’s home, mosquitoes cause a lot of trouble. There are several effective ways to get rid of these annoying insects:

1. Mosquito nets on windows and doors . As a rule, window structures are already equipped with them, but they can also be purchased separately. However, this method does not guarantee 100% protection against mosquitoes.
2. Electric fumigants. By affecting insects, pesticide gases destroy them. To get rid of mosquitoes, just connect the device to the network.
3. Repellents. Available in the form of sprays, creams and lotions. The products are made on the basis of substances that repel blood-sucking insects. They are applied directly to the skin.

Natural remedies cope well with this task. Mosquitoes do not like the smell emitted by tomato plants. By planting tomato bushes on a windowsill or balcony, you can get rid of annoying insects.

Insects are also repelled by the scents of Persian chamomile, geranium, lavender, cloves and chrysanthemum. Mosquitoes cannot tolerate the smell of pine needles. You can scare away annoying insects by placing spruce or pine branches in the room, setting fire to needles or coniferous bark, or using essential oils of spruce, pine, eucalyptus, juniper and cypress.

Mosquitoes do not like tobacco smoke, so insects rarely fly towards smokers. Insects try to avoid plants with a pronounced aroma: basil, thyme, anise, lemongrass, wheatgrass, wormwood and bird cherry.

Brief conclusion

Male mosquitoes lead an exclusively vegetarian lifestyle. Only females drink blood, and then only during the breeding season. The ability to survive in female mosquitoes is so great that she can fly for a long time in search of a body of water, where she lays up to 500 eggs per season. The mosquito can lay eggs up to 4 times per season, provided it finds blood. She is able to take blood from animals and even fish in the absence of human blood. High temperatures and sufficient humidity are favorable conditions for procreation.

Mosquito larvae appear within 2 weeks. A small amount of water is enough for mosquitoes to actively breed: a lake, a pond, a puddle, even a tub of water, and sometimes even a damp basement at home.

The caramora centipede is a harmless insect from the genus Diptera that feeds mainly on fruit nectar and humus, or may not feed at all, having received all the necessary substances for its life at the larval stage.

Life cycle

During its development, a mosquito goes through four stages. The larva hatches from the egg. Then it pupates and an adult is born. After saturation with blood, the eggs mature in the female’s body. Their laying occurs on the surface of the water: a puddle, a ditch, a pond, an artificial container. In one go, the female can lay up to 150 eggs. After a few days, depending on environmental conditions, the larvae will hatch. They live in the water column and feed on small plankton. From time to time they float to the surface to breathe.

During development, the larva molts four times and turns into a pupa. At this stage, the future mosquito can move more intensively in the water column. It floats to the surface and hides at the bottom in case of danger. After several days of development, the skin of the pupa located at the surface of the water bursts and a sexually mature mosquito appears through the resulting gap. It moves along the surface of the water to coastal vegetation. Males are born first. They wait for females and swarm near such places.

Mosquitoes can endure winter at any stage. The eggs remain viable even after 2–3 years in unfavorable conditions. Adults wait out the cold in tree hollows, under bark and other secluded places. In cities, they find refuge in damp basements, vegetable stores, and cellars.