Summer is not only the season of holidays and vacations, picnics and barbecues, but also, the annoying squeak of which interferes with proper rest and sleep. No less suffering is brought by the bites of annoying insects. Often they are accompanied by severe itching. Moreover, it often happens that being in the same company, not all of its participants suffer from the attack of bloodsuckers. Therefore, in order not to become a victim of insatiable bloodsuckers, it will not be superfluous to know what mosquitoes fly to or what attracts their attention.
How mosquitoes find a person
The activity of unpleasant bloodsuckers and their ability to find a victim surprises many. Even being in absolute darkness, mosquitoes do not stop their activity. Therefore, the question of how mosquitoes see is one of the most frequently asked.
On a note!
Insects "see in the dark" thanks to the thermal and chemical analyzer that nature has awarded them. With their help, mosquitoes smell the lactic acid contained in the sweat and the presence of carbon dioxide that a person exhales.
Attracts the attention of insects and a lamp burning in the room. However, only mosquito females fly into the light. Their attention is drawn to the heat emanating from the light source. It is on him that the mosquito is guided during the flight, whether it is daylight or darkness.
Using the heat receptor, mosquitoes also look for bare areas of the human body, trying to get as close as possible to the food source. However, bloodsuckers are often deceived by sticking around warm objects in anticipation of a meal (the photo of how mosquitoes see is presented below).
What attracts insects
After conducting numerous studies, experts were able to determine that the attention of mosquitoes is attracted by the presence of the following factors.
The smell of blood
For many, this will seem absurd, but bloodsuckers find the victim by the smell of blood, genetically laid down, which makes you wonder. It is assumed that they give preference exclusively to people with 1 blood type. They are more indifferent to a person with 3 or 4 blood groups. Blood of the 2nd group is not at all to the taste of vampires.
On a note!
Human hunting is carried out exclusively by female mosquitoes. For breeding, as it contains proteins and enzymes. Males are absolutely indifferent to blood. They eat exclusively plant food using nectar and plant sap. Females can also be vegetarians, but they will not be able to lay eggs during this period.
thermal radiation
To find a suitable prey for a female blood-sucking mosquito, special very sensitive sensors located on the antennae help. They are very responsive to thermal radiation that comes from a person or other warm-blooded creature. And especially bloodsuckers feel bare areas of the body.
Carbon dioxide concentration
Attracts the attention of bloodsuckers and carbon dioxide. Insects can feel it from the breath of a person at a distance of several tens of meters.
On a note!
Moreover, the greater the concentration of carbon dioxide, the greater the appetite of the insect producing its victim. Its largest volume is reproduced by overweight people.
Smell of sweat
Another factor that attracts the attention of blood-sucking insects is sweat. Therefore, they often choose an actively working person as a victim. To be more precise, bloodsuckers fly to the smell of ammonia, lactic and uric acid, which are part of human sweat.
Won't help in this case and perfume, especially if it contains musk. Indeed, for insects, this aroma is very attractive. So don't the best option use cosmetics with a strong smell, whether it be perfume, deodorant or hairspray. But a person who has just taken a shower will not cause any interest in bloodsuckers.
bacteria on the skin
Mosquitoes are also interested in specific types of bacteria present on the surface of the skin. Places in which there is an excessive amount of them (usually the ankles and wrists) are attacked by insects much more often. Therefore, to avoid, you must regularly shower with antibacterial soap.
The smell of beer
Another one was found by scientists. Mosquitoes are no less attracted by the smell of beer, or rather the people who drink it. This addiction is explained by ethanol released through the skin and increased body temperature, which is usually observed among drinkers.
gender
The most common victims of mosquitoes are children and girls. Explained given fact they have thinner skin, which is much easier for insects to bite through than the skin of a male.
On a note!
According to a number of studies, experts have found that mosquitoes are of particular interest to women during pregnancy. It turned out that the amount of carbon dioxide exhaled by them is almost 20% more. In addition, pregnant women have a slightly elevated body temperature.
No less attention of bloodsuckers is attracted by women during the period of ovulation. The reason for this is the smell of cholesterol, the level of which in women increases during hormonal changes. It is to him that mosquitoes react.
The color of things
The color of clothing can also attract the attention of insects. According to statistics, bloodsuckers are especially not indifferent to black and blue tones, and red also attracts insects. They are neutral to gray. Less attractive are yellow, green, and khaki.
Interesting!
Attacks of annoying insects are not subjected to those people in whose body from birth there is a special repellent repelling bloodsuckers.
Mosquito attractants
A lot of
Many craftsmen make using plastic bottles or paper impregnated with a mixture of rosin, linseed oil and honey. Safety and availability are the main advantages of such devices.
With the onset of warm summer days, we try to spend more time outdoors, going on picnics in the forest, to a personal plot or cottage. I like everything about this vacation: the beauty of nature, swimming in ponds, the process of picking berries and mushrooms, but the only fact that can overshadow this idyll is annoying squeaking and mosquito bites. The activity of unpleasant bloodsuckers and the ability to find a victim is sometimes surprising!
What do insects like?
Even with the advent of absolute darkness, they do not stop their activity. Nature endowed the mosquito with a thermal and chemical analyzer, with the help of which the insect senses the presence of carbon dioxide, lactic acid, contained in sweat. Moreover, the smell of carbon dioxide can be heard on long distance, and lactic acid can be smelled for a kilometer or more.
It turns out that nature has created several thousand species of mosquitoes, and each of them prefers a certain type of victim: some like to feast on the blood of birds, others prefer to hunt people, others look for prey among animals, etc. There are male and female mosquitoes, and only mosquitoes suck blood.
While on vacation or in a city apartment, many people ask themselves questions: “Which mosquitoes will fly faster to: light or heat? Can the switched off light save from these bloodsuckers?
It has been noticed that female mosquitoes love light, so we often see how they tend to get from darkness or twilight to a lighted place. It turns out that they even like the twilight of the night more than the sultry one. sunlight. And if the air temperature reaches more than 27 degrees Celsius, then the mosquito dies.
Using the heat receptor, the mosquito searches for open areas of the human body in order to get as close as possible to the food source. By the way, sometimes you can observe that mosquitoes stick around a warm object (for example, a heating pad) and try to stick their nose into it.
Ideal for room lighting or suburban area in summer time are LED lamps and lanterns. Firstly, they are cost-effective, and secondly, they do not heat up and do not emit heat, which means they do not attract mosquitoes.
What do mosquitoes fly to, and how to cool their impulse? Experts have done a lot of research and identified the main factors that attract mosquitoes:
- Blood type and Rh factor. Of course, it would be ridiculous to claim that the insect knows about this concept, but researchers have confidently asserted that the mosquito determines the blood type by smell (genetically laid down). The mosquito loves the first blood group, less actively sit on the victim with the third and fourth blood group, but he likes the person with the second group the least.
- Carbon dioxide. It turns out that the more concentrated carbon dioxide, the better for the mosquito. That is why he mostly sits on large, adult people.
- Sweat. Due to the fact that mosquitoes are attracted by the smell of lactic acid, ammonia, uric acid, which are part of sweat, they often hunt for a working person, a person who sweats heavily. If a person just got out of the shower, he becomes completely uninteresting to the mosquito.
- Beer. An interesting proven fact is that beer drinkers are the favorites of mosquitoes. Why? The reason for this is presumably considered: ethanol released through the skin and fever body.
- The color spectrum of clothing. According to statistics, bloodsuckers are attracted to black, red and dark blue clothing. Why this is so is not known, but the fact is the fact.
- Bacteria that accumulate on the surface of human skin. Moreover, there are a number of bacteria that attract the insect, and there are those that repel.
- Pregnancy. Experts noticed attraction to pregnant women by observing malarial mosquito, and then analyzed the behavior of many other species and confirmed this fact. The reason that women in interesting position become favorites of harmful insects is the body temperature (higher than ordinary person), and more carbon dioxide they exhale.
By the way, there is a funny fact that there are a number of people who are not interested in mosquitoes at all. These are the lucky ones whose body from birth is able to secrete a natural substance - a repellent that mosquitoes do not tolerate.
How to protect yourself?
If you are not so lucky, then it is advisable to stock up on mosquito bites. We will not list the mass modern drugs and devices sold in pharmacies and special outlets, but let's focus on the simplest and absolutely harmless mosquito repellents:
- a mixture of eucalyptus and lemon aroma oil (1 jar of oil + juice from two lemons) apply to exposed areas of the body, and you are protected;
- natural cinnamon. It is enough to rub it on the skin or add to toilet water;
- garlic. Daily use of this product in food will greatly reduce the risk of being bitten;
- vanillin or vanilla sugar amazingly repels insects;
- fan. Just position yourself near a running fan and you won't be afraid of any mosquito.
A new study published in the journal Current Biology reveals the mystery behind how mosquitoes choose their prey. American scientists from the laboratory of Michael Dickinson (Michael Dickinson) at the California Institute of Technology found that insects rely on three senses at once in their search.
Like many other creatures, mosquitoes use their eyesight to assess their position in space and overcome obstacles. At the same time, bloodsuckers use the sense of smell - people and animals release carbon dioxide with each exhalation when they breathe. Carbon dioxide attracts insects, which they follow like a trail. And finally, mosquitoes feel warm. The blood in the vessels and body heat complete the overall picture of the perception of the world of insects, indicating exactly where their prey is.
For their study, the scientists chose fertilized female mosquitoes that need blood to breed. Mosquitoes were launched into a wind tunnel to understand when and how insects use certain sense organs. Two streams of gas were launched into the pipe: a stream saturated with carbon dioxide, simulating human breathing, and a stream with a reduced concentration of carbon dioxide. The movement of 20 female mosquitoes was recorded using video cameras and software to create a three-dimensional map of their movement. As a result, it turned out that mosquitoes were more interested in a stream saturated with carbon dioxide.
« We know that if there is an object that has a trail of carbon dioxide trailing towards it, mosquitoes will fly towards it, whether it is warm or cold. All because they see it. Therefore, we had to conduct another test in order to understand the mechanism of the thermal attractiveness of objects for mosquitoes.”, — said Floris van Beryugel (Floris van Breugel), one of the authors of the study.
To do this, scientists took glass containers, inside of which there was a substance that can be heated to any temperature. The containers were placed at the bottom of the wind tunnel. One of them was heated to 37 degrees Celsius, and the rest were left at room temperature. And a stream of carbon dioxide was added to all the containers. As a result of the experiment, it turned out that a warmer container was more attractive to mosquitoes, but the presence of carbon dioxide did not affect the behavior of insects in any way.
Scientists have concluded that mosquitoes can detect prey at a distance of 10-50 meters along a plume of carbon dioxide. At a distance of 5-15 meters, insects already see the target with their eyesight. As the site found out, then, at a distance of about 1 meter, bloodsuckers begin to feel warm and quickly determine the exact location of the “prey”.
Mosquitoes, as you know, appeared on Earth back in Triassic- the first geological period Mesozoic era, that is, 400 million years ago. So the answer, as far as possible the complete destruction of mosquitoes, is quite obvious. They are more likely to outlive a person than vice versa. It remains only to learn how to properly interact with these insects in order to minimize harm from mosquitoes, learn how to protect yourself from mosquitoes and develop everything the best means from mosquitoes. On the pages of the Moscow Medicine Portal there is a whole section dedicated to the treatment of mosquito bites and methods of protection against mosquitoes. In this article, we have collected useful and fun facts about mosquitoes, which allow you to get to know these blood-sucking earthlings better.
How fast do mosquitoes fly
Depending on the species, mosquitoes can fly at speeds of approximately 1.5 to 3 km. in hour.
How far do mosquitoes fly
There are mosquito species that prefer to stay close to their home, such as the Asian Tiger Mosquito, which has a limited flight range of about 150 meters. Most species have flight ranges of 2-4 km. Some large mosquitoes are able to travel up to 7 km. from breeding grounds. The undisputed mosquito champions, however, are the saline mosquitoes - they are known to migrate up to 200 km in exceptional circumstances, although more often they are 30-50 km.
How much do mosquitoes weigh
All the familiar mosquitoes that get you in an apartment or in the country usually weigh about 2.5 mg. Large Russian mosquitoes are real "flying bears" and can weigh up to 10 milligrams.
Why mosquitoes feed on blood
Female mosquitoes burrow into the skin until they bleed so that their eggs can mature. Mosquitoes drink blood - but this process has nothing to do with the function of nutrition, simply without the consumption of blood, food rich in proteins, mosquitoes cannot reproduce. Proteins contained in plasma (the liquid part of the blood) and red blood cells are digested in the intestines of the female mosquito, and the resulting amino acids are used to synthesize the proteins of her eggs.
3–4 days after hatching from pupae, female mosquitoes mate with males. Fertilized females are looking for their victims. Having drunk blood, females digest it within 2-3 days. During this time, eggs ripen in their ovaries, and then the female finds a suitable reservoir and lays her eggs on the surface of the water. A certain percentage of the females then die, and the survivors can drink blood again and only after that lay a new batch of eggs.
Male mosquitoes do not drink blood at all. In order to get energy, mosquitoes of both sexes feed on plant nectar - in the same way as "noble" bees.
What are the benefits of mosquitoes
Mosquitoes fill various niches found in nature. Although the victims of mosquitoes, for sure, it seems that the existence of mosquitoes is inappropriate. However, their adaptability to change may provide food for researchers in various fields. Mosquitoes serve as food sources for various creatures, but are not critical for any kind of predator.
How long do mosquitoes live
The lifespan of a mosquito depends on its species. Most adult female mosquitoes live 2-3 weeks. Some types of mosquitoes successfully hibernate in garages, water pipes, attics and calmly reach 6 months of age.
How will the complete destruction of mosquitoes affect the ecosystem
Given that nature does not tolerate emptiness and other species immediately fill niches, the complete destruction of mosquitoes does not look like a tempting prospect - keep in mind that replacing mosquitoes can be much scarier and more dangerous for humans. It is very difficult to predict the consequences. In addition, the ability of mosquitoes to adapt to changing conditions makes the question itself questionable.
How high do mosquitoes fly
In general, mosquitoes that bite people prefer to fly at altitudes of less than 15 meters. However, there are species of mosquitoes that hunt from over 20 meters above the ground. Mosquitoes have been found at 5,000 meters in the Himalayas and 2,000 meters underground in mines in India.
Can mosquitoes transmit AIDS?
Many studies have been done on this subject, but there has certainly never been a successful transmission of the virus from an infected mosquito to humans. The experts concluded that insects are not capable of infecting AIDS, extensive experimental research is needed on this topic - but will there be volunteers?
HIV not transmitted from mosquito to mosquito. Thus, mosquitoes are not capable of being a biological vector, as is the case with malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever. In fact, mosquitoes are able to "digest" the virus that causes AIDS.
In addition, the amount of "blood" on mosquito ostia is tiny compared to what is found on a dirty needle. Thus, the risk is proportionately less. Calculations based on the mechanical transmission of anthrax and Rift Valley fever virus, both of which produce very high concentrations in the blood, unlike HIV, have shown that it takes about 10,000,000 mosquitoes to first feed on the blood of an AIDS patient and then bite a susceptible person. to get 1 transmission of the virus.
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Mosquitoes don't fly with a needle subcutaneous injection. Mosquitoes transfer saliva into the bite wound (the usual route for disease transmission) through a separate tube from the one that absorbs blood.
What exactly attracts a mosquito to a person?
What attracts mosquitoes to me? This is a question that each of us asked ourselves with bewilderment. Indeed - why do some people seem more attractive to mosquitoes than others?
Carbon dioxide is the most widely recognized trigger for attracting mosquitoes - they feel it at a distance of up to 35 meters. When female mosquitoes sense carbon dioxide, they usually change their flight path abruptly to find its source. In addition, the mosquito reads other signals, including body odor (sweat, lactic acid, etc.) and warmth. The odors produced by the microflora of the skin also play a role in stimulating the mosquito to descend closer to the ground.
More than 350 compounds have been isolated from odors produced by human skin. Individually or in combination, many of these compounds can be attractive to mosquitoes - and many can be repellents. As you can see, the situation is complex and requires many years of testing before your relationship with mosquitoes can be sorted out.
Visual stimuli such as movement also need to be taken into account. There are many myths about what kind of food you need to consume to repel mosquitoes. For example, mosquito repellant garlic or vitamin B12 have been shown in controlled laboratory studies to have no effect on mosquito activity. Conversely, eating bananas does not attract mosquitoes, but people who drink beer and people who use perfume do put themselves at risk of being attacked by mosquitoes.
- About 2700 species of mosquitoes live on our Planet. About 100 species of mosquitoes live in Russia, in comparison, 176 species of mosquitoes live in the USA.
- The average mosquito weighs about 2.5 milligrams.
- The average mosquito drinks from 0.001 to 0.01 ml for full saturation. blood during feeding.
- Mosquitoes see the victim at a distance of 25-35 meters and they do not lose it in motion; mosquitoes are easily detected infrared radiation emitted by the heat of the organs, as well as pick up chemical signals (mosquitoes are most attracted to carbon dioxide and lactic acid) at distances of 25 to 35 meters.
- More big people are often more attractive to mosquitoes because they are simply larger targets, plus they produce more attractive substances for mosquitoes, namely CO2 and lactic acid.
- Active people and restless people also produce more CO2 and lactic acid.
- The smell of feet really attracts some types of mosquitoes.
- Dark clothing is more attractive to certain types of mosquitoes than light clothing.
- Mosquito bites people in motion 50% more often than people in calm
- Full moon increases mosquito activity by 500%! This has indeed been proven by several studies.
Video how a mosquito bites
Origin of the word "mosquitoes"
How mosquitoes breed.
Mosquito life cycle.
Who do mosquitoes prefer to bite.
Mosquito flight speed.
How mosquitoes hibernate.
Monuments to KOMARs
Origin of the word "mosquitoes""
There are several versions:
1. The word "mosquitoes" comes from Sanskrit "kamaari", which means "enemies of the god of love Kama", a young Cupid who liked to sit naked in the bushes, with a bow and arrows in his hands.
2. If we divide this word in this way: ko-k'> mar-mar. Then KO - Kb in this word has the same meaning as WHO, MAR - MAR - is the noun "mara" - "fog, darkness, darkness." Whereas fog, or rather a damp and humid environment, favorite place habitat of mosquitoes, it turns out that a mosquito is one who lives in a humid environment, or rather mosquitoes lay their eggs there and raise their offspring ...
3. According to the third version - KЪ MAR - ko mare, that is, the one who is with Mary, the servant of the goddess Marana - the supplier of blood.
How mosquitoes reproduce and what is the role of the male
Probably, many have observed the swarming of mosquitoes in nature. In warm quiet summer evenings, before sunset, somewhere near the reservoir, near the crown of trees or paths in the meadow, many watched mosquitoes swarming. The literature describes swarms reaching a width of 1-5 m and a height of 7 m.
The swarm consists of only males, while mating occurs at the moment when the female is near the swarm, moreover, it is the male who searches for the female, and not vice versa. This type of mating is known as eurygamy and requires a lot of space and involves swarming. Eurygamy (mating during swarming) is characteristic of many species of mosquitoes. The behavior of the urban mosquito is completely different: the meeting of the sexes and their mating can occur without swarming, which becomes possible in small cages and even in a test tube. This type of mating is called stenogamy (mating without swarming). This feature of the urban mosquito's reproductive behavior allows it to breed successfully in basements, which are often limited in size.
Clusters consist of a huge number of mosquitoes - tens or even hundreds of thousands. Mosquitoes jostle in place and make a ringing that attracts females. Mosquito wings make such a sound only when they vibrate at a frequency of more than 594 strokes per second. When sitting, these mosquitoes twitch their legs. These are call mosquitoes. oral apparatus the bells are not developed, they do not feed and live 3-7 days.
A mature male mosquito, to detect a female, uses its antennae-antennae, which serve as organs of hearing for it. These antennas have their own special functions. At their ends there are thin hairs that are highly sensitive to the sounds made by the female.
In addition, the male has special appendages near the genitals that help him keep the female during mating in the air.
The female flying into the swarm is fertilized by the one who manages to grab her first. Mating lasts a short time, and the male mosquito returns to its group. And already from this moment (the moment of fertilization), the female mosquito needs blood for the development of eggs.
The internal genital organs are hidden in the body of the mosquito. In females, these are the ovaries; in males, the testes. external genitalia male mosquitoes have complex structure. The identification of many species of mosquitoes is only possible due to differences in the structure of the male genitalia. The ovipositor in female mosquitoes looks like a short tube. Fertilization in mosquitoes is internal, that is, sperm during intercourse enters the female genital tract (external fertilization, for example, in fish - they pour caviar with milk).
mosquito life cycle
Mosquitoes go through 4 stages during their life: egg > larva > pupa > adult.
After mating, the female mosquito searches for a living object and drinks blood. After that, the blood begins to be digested and at the same time the maturation of the eggs occurs. When the time comes, the female lays her eggs. Any smallest puddle, hole, ditch or depression filled with water can serve as a place for laying eggs; mosquitoes willingly lay their eggs in open barrels, basins, troughs and other containers with water. Moreover, mosquitoes find any water bodies, focusing on air humidity.
Females can lay eggs two ways:
* one egg separately,
* whole "packs" of eggs glued together.
In one visit, the female can lay about 120-150 eggs.
The duration of egg development depends on the water temperature and usually ranges from 40 hours to 8 days. Thus, after a few days, sufficiently mobile cells are hatched from the eggs. larvae 1-2 mm in size, their body consists of a head, chest and abdomen. The larvae feed on small organisms living in the water, eating them from the surface of plants and various items. And they grow very fast.
 mosquito larva |
Finding larvae in a small pond is very simple. In the normal state, mosquito larvae "dangle" upside down under the surface of the water. But if they are frightened or if excitement appears on the water, the larvae immediately “break away” and go into the depths with characteristic zigzag movements. After a short time, the larva will certainly float to the surface of the water: the air supply in its body requires constant refreshment. Hanging near the surface of the water, the larvae absorb it through a special breathing tube with a water-repellent tip. The larvae of mosquitoes - bells are known as bloodworms and serve as an important food for fish. |
 Bloodworm (Chironomidas siu Teudipedae mosquito larva) of red color |
In the state of the larva, the mosquito molts 4 times, after the 4th molt it turns into a chrysalis. The body of the pupa is curved like a comma and consists of a wider cephalothorax and a tapering bent abdomen. The pupa can move, swims very well, faster than the larva, with the help of vigorous movements of the abdomen. If nothing frightens the chrysalis, it remains for a long time under the very surface of the water, putting out small horns - breathing tubes. A disturbed chrysalis can quickly sink to a depth. The chrysalis has a peculiarity, it can only be at a depth in motion, otherwise it floats to the surface, like a cork, since it is lighter than water. At the end of the "pupa" phase, it changes color: from light brown it becomes almost black. |
 mosquito chrysalis |
The duration of development of the larva and pupa is affected by the water temperature and the characteristics of this species. A very complex process takes place inside the pupa for 2.5 - 4.5 days, as a result of which an adult mosquito is ready to fly (imago). Upon completion of this process, the skin on the back of the pupa bursts, and through the gap that appears, first the head is released, then the chest of the mosquito, and finally the wings and limbs. After a few minutes, he flies to the coastal vegetation. Males always appear first. They gather to breeding grounds and form swarms, waiting for their "brides". In fertilized females, the instinct of bloodsucking awakens. A hungry fertilized female can "smell" people and animals at a distance of up to 2-3 km. In one sucking run, a female mosquito can drink blood, more than its initial weight. After laying eggs, the female becomes aggressive again, again looking for prey, and the cycle repeats. |
Having re-satisfied with blood, interest in food disappears until the maturation and laying of the next batch of eggs. After each laying of eggs, a significant part of the mosquitoes dies.
The life expectancy of a female is usually 2-3 weeks, but can reach 114-119 days, as it is directly dependent on air temperature and the availability of food. The life expectancy of males is much shorter.
The process of development of a mosquito from laying eggs to an adult lasts 15-60 days and also depends on the ambient temperature.
During the summer (a warm period of time, different in different places), 3-4 generations of mosquitoes grow in the middle latitudes, and 6-8 in the southern regions. Mosquitoes go for wintering in the imago phase (fertilized females), larvae - winter in more or less warm places: caves, tree hollows, burrows, basements, residential apartments, stairwells.
By the way, recent observations show that poor living conditions only increase the growth of mosquito populations and life expectancy. Adaptability and changes that have occurred since basement mosquitoes no longer fit within the usual scientific framework. Several key signs in their lifestyle have changed:
- urban basement mosquito gained the ability to live and breed in dirty water;
- for the mating process, mosquitoes no longer have to form a swarm - they have adapted to a limited space;
- female mosquitoes have acquired the ability to lay eggs without being saturated with blood. The mosquito, after the pupal stage, can produce viable offspring.
Why do mosquitoes bite?
Mosquitoes bite to breed (reproduce eggs). Mosquitoes require blood to lay their eggs, so the egg laying cycle is directly related to blood consumption. From this it becomes obvious that only mosquito females need blood, while males are indifferent to it. Just one drop of blood gives life to hundreds of mosquito eggs.
But in fact, not all mosquitoes suck the blood of animals and people. Some of them feed on plant juices, nectar, and the mosquitoes mentioned above do not feed on bells at all.
Who bites?
Only female mosquitoes bite. All males (without exception) known species mosquitoes feed exclusively on plant foods (nectar and pollen of flowers) and do not trade by sucking blood, but they also itch disgustingly. Thus, they do not consume proteins (which are found in the blood), but live exclusively on carbohydrates. But females, if there is nowhere to take blood, they temporarily become vegetarians, however, in this case they can no longer lay eggs.
Who is squeaking?
When the mating period begins, “mosquitoes” call “mosquitoes” with a characteristic very high-pitched sound, reminiscent of an ordinary squeak, which is emitted with the help of wings. Mosquitoes pick up sound vibrations with their antennae. Female mosquitoes squeak a little thinner than males, and young mosquitoes do not squeak as much as older ones. And males recognize these differences and choose more mature females. In general, whoever squeaks better gets a cavalier.
How mosquitoes find their prey and even at night?
Special sensors on the antennae, which are very sensitive, help the female blood-sucking mosquito find a suitable victim.
- to the usual thermal radiation emanating from a living being. Mosquitoes see heat radiation. Moreover, open areas of the human body are warmer and mosquitoes feel it.
- to the products of human or animal metabolism: carbon dioxide and certain acids, such as uric acid, lactic acid.
The smell of lactic acid contained in sweat can be smelled by mosquitoes for 3 kilometers. But even if you decide to outwit the villains by using perfume, and even more so if musk is present in its composition, this is tantamount to waving a poster and shouting: "rush in, I'm the sweetest." Tip: do not use cosmetics with a very strong smell: perfume, hairspray, deodorant, soap, lipstick.
Who is being bitten?
Mosquitoes are actually gourmets, most of all mosquitoes like:
- blood in people with the first and second blood groups;
- blood in children (due to delicate thin skin);
- female blood. Moreover, among women, they prefer those who have begun dangerous days for conception - 13 - 18 days of the cycle, and pregnant women. This is due to the fact that insects smell the "smell" of cholesterol, the level of which in women increases during hormonal changes.
- the blood of obese people, heart patients with atherosclerosis.
There is also some comforting news. In all likelihood, mosquito bite marks will soon be equated with evidence of passionate love - hickeys. In England, biologists have determined that more temperamental people are several times more likely to be attacked by mosquitoes - bloodsuckers than sexually cold ones. High level the content of sex hormones in human blood (testosterone - in men, in women - estrogen) increase the attractiveness of the victim in the eyes of a mosquito.
mosquito flight speed
A typical mosquito flight speed is 3.2 km/h.
Flight duration The mosquito is highly dependent on the species and can range from a few hundred meters to 100 km (using air jets). The mosquito belongs to the group of insects considered good fliers.
How do mosquitoes hibernate?
Mosquitoes are able to endure winter at any of the stages of their development: in the form of a larva, pupa, adult. Mosquito eggs can remain viable for a long time, and even if humid environment, in which they were deposited, drought overtakes, the larvae of them will hatch as soon as the environment around becomes wet, at least after 2-3 years.
Mosquitoes can winter both in natural shelters (in tree hollows, under bark, animal burrows, in dry grass, caves and cracks, etc.), and in man-made shelters (cellars, vegetable stores, unheated outbuildings and basements) . Most mosquitoes do not feed on blood in winter.
What are mosquitoes for?
Mosquitoes seem to be specially created only to annoy us. And when it became known that they are responsible for the transmission of a huge number of diseases, the mosquito began to seem like a real curse.
Meanwhile, mosquitoes are a necessary component of natural balance, and no matter how you scold them, we would regret their disappearance even more bitterly. The fact is that tiny mosquitoes are links more major system, biocenosis. And here everything matters: both the atmosphere and water regime, and soil, and microorganisms, and animals. It is necessary to exclude one of the links, and all subsequent ones will suffer, the balance in nature will be disturbed. For example, in the Arctic, where most northern birds nest in the short, cold summers, mosquito larvae are often the only source of food for them.
But even those mosquitoes and larvae that managed not to become food for birds or fish will still not live in vain. Myriads of insects carry tons of chemical elements: carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, iron, manganese, molybdenum, boron - which are so necessary for plants. It is believed that mosquito clouds are sometimes the only biological transport for some trace elements, without which both blades of grass and mighty trees lose their strength.
By transmitting infections, mosquitoes serve as an important stabilizer of ecosystems, as they regulate the size of animal populations, like predators.
Mosquito monuments in different cities of the world
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Mosquito Monument
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Monument to the mosquito in Salekhard, Tyumen region.
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Monument to a mosquito in Novosibirsk near the State Art Museum on Sverdlov Street
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In Berdyansk (Ukraine) there is a monument to the ringing mosquito, since it is the ringing mosquito, or rather its larva - bloodworm that restores medicinal properties silt in the Sea of Azov, on the coast of which Berdyansk is located. The mosquito is even guarded, pursuing illegal bloodworms in estuaries to sell to aquarists. The bell mosquito has importance in the ecosystem and when fighting it, it is useful to remember this so as not to repeat the sad experience of Chinese sparrows. In the city you can buy a badge with the image of a mosquito and the inscription "I am mine!" They say it helps - they don't bite
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Another monument to the mosquito is in the city of Komarno (there are cities with this name in Slovakia and Canada. It was not possible to specify in which of them the monument to the mosquito was installed). The steel statue was made in 1984 and has a wingspan of 5 meters. The largest mosquito monument in the world
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Mosquito monument in Suwon city (South Korea)
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This mosquito is in Alaska
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Warning sign in the forest
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