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Mosquito

Mosquito

Mosquitos have been an irritant for the human species since the beginning of time. They bite, they cause itchy bumps, they keep us awake at night with their buzzing, and they are the carriers of disease like yellow fever, dengue fever, and malaria.

Top Questions Asked on ChaCha.com for Mosquito

In the Last:
Day | Week | Month

  1. What gender of mosquito bites humans?

    The female mosquito is the one who bites you. The female need...

  2. What helps make mosquito bites go away?

    Get a few ice cubes. Use a washcloth or other cloth to hold t...

  3. Are mosquito hawks bigger than mosquito and how big do mosquito get?

    Both dragonflies and crane flies are commonly known as mosqui...

  4. Will a mosquito explode if u flex while it bites u? Ju@ReZ?

    If a mosquito is biting you and you flex your arm, it makes i...

  5. What is the function of a mosquito?

    Yes. Life would function without mosquitoes. They have some p...

  1. Is it bad to eat a mosquito?

    No, if you eat one it won't hurt you. Not even if it has west...

  2. How big is a mosquito?

    The average North American mosquito is about 1/4 to 1/2 inch ...

  3. What is the life span me a mosquito?

    That depends. The average life span of a female mosquito is 3...

  4. How long do mosquito's live?

    Most mosquitoes are relatively fragile insects with an adult ...

  5. What colors repel mosquito's?

    Mosquitoes are more attracted to dark colors, so if you wear ...

  1. Are mosquito's attracted to body odor?

    Yes, Mosquitos are attracted to body odor. ChaCha on!

  2. What are those big mosquito eaters called they look like big mosquitoes?

    Crane flies are a type of fly. Crane flies look like big mosq...

  3. Does a mosquito fart?

    No, this was actually tested on the TV show Myth busters. Mos...

  4. What are those huge mosquito looking bugs called?

    Those insects that look like oversized mosquitos are called c...

  5. If you squeeze your skin while a mosquito's sucking out your blood will it explode?

    No this doesn't work. all you will be doing is allowing the f...

Top Questions Asked on ChaCha Mobile for Mosquito

In the Last:
Day | Week | Month

  1. Are mosquito an autotroph?

    No. Mosquito is a heterotroph. Mosquito is a common insect in...

  2. Why do mosquito bites itch?

    The saliva injected when a mosquito bites causes our bodies t...

  3. Why are mosquito bites itchy?

    When the mosquito stabs her needle-like mouthparts through th...

  4. Do male or female mosquito bite?

    Only female mosquitoes are biters. Both male and female mosqu...

  5. How many teeth does a mosquito have?

    Mosquitos have 4 areas of sharp, flexible cutting instruments...

  1. How long do mosquito's live?

    Most mosquitoes are relatively fragile insects with an adult ...

  2. Why do mosquito bites itch?

    The saliva injected when a mosquito bites causes our bodies t...

  3. Do male or female mosquito bite?

    Only female mosquitoes are biters. Both male and female mosqu...

  4. Why does it itch when you get a mosquito bite?

    When a mosquito bites you, it not only takes some blood, but ...

  5. What is a mosquito?

    Mosquitoes are small, flying insects that feed on blood, and ...

  1. Are mosquito an autotroph?

    No. Mosquito is a heterotroph. Mosquito is a common insect in...

  2. How big is the biggest mosquito?

    The world's largest mosquito is the Toxorhynchites speciosus,...

  3. What is the average lifespan of a mosquito?

    The average life span for a mosquito is 3 - 100days. Not long...

  4. Does the male or female mosquito bite, or both?

    Males do not lay eggs, thus, male mosquitoes do not bite. The...

  5. How many teeth does a mosquito have?

    Mosquitos have 4 areas of sharp, flexible cutting instruments...

About Mosquito

The mosquito is a common insect in the family Culicidae. Mosquitoes go through four stages in their life cycle: egg, larva, pupa, and adult or imago. The adult females lay their eggs in standing water, which can be a salt marsh, a lake, a puddle, a natural reservoir on a plant, or an artificial water container such as a plastic bucket.

The first three stages are aquatic and they last between 5 and 14 days, depending on the species. The eggs hatch to become larvae and then a pupae. The adult mosquito emerges from the pupa as it floats at the water surface. Adults typically live for about 4 to 8 weeks.

Mosquitoes have mouthparts that are adapted for piercing the skin of both plants and animals. While males typically feed on nectar and plant juices, the female needs to obtain nutrients from a blood meal before she can produce any eggs.

There are roughly about 3,500 species of mosquitoes found throughout the world. In some species of mosquito, the females feed on humans, and are therefore considered vectors and they are the cause of a number of infectious diseases that affect millions of people each year. Some scientists believe that eradicating mosquitoes would not have serious consequences for any ecosystems.

The principal mosquito borne diseases are the viral diseases yellow fever, dengue fever and Chikungunya, transmitted mostly by the Aedes aegypti, and malaria carried by the genus Anopheles. What was once a public health concern, HIV is now thought to be almost impossible for mosquitoes to transmit. Mosquitoes are estimated to transmit diseases to more than 700 million people annually in Africa, South America, Central America, Mexico and much of Asia with millions of resulting deaths. At least 2 million people annually die of these diseases.

Interesting enough, mosquitoes prefer some people over others. The preferential victim's sweat simply smells better than others because of the proportions of the carbon dioxide, octenol and other compounds that make up body odor. A large part of the mosquito’s sense of smell, or is devoted to sniffing out human targets. Out of the 72 types of odor receptors on its antennae, at least 27 of them are tuned in to detect chemicals found in perspiration.

There are several commercially available anti itch medications, including those taken orally, such as Benadryl, or topically applied antihistamines. For more severe cases, corticosteroids such as hydrocortisone and triamcinolone may help. Also, many effective home remedies exist, including calamine lotion and vinegar. Some doctors suggest a paste of meat tenderizer containing papain and water to help break down the proteins in the mosquito saliva.

Created by vickiz

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Mosquito