The sun is up and it’s the perfect day to take the family out for a picnic and relax by a lake.
You gather together snacks and drinks, make some sandwiches, and pack the car with the family, towels, beach chairs and umbrellas, and once everyone has changed into their bright colored swim gear, you head to the lake.
After a long drive and many cries of “Are we there yet?” You finally arrive at the lake and find the perfect spot. You set up the towels, chairs, and beach umbrellas for shade, and slap some sunscreen on everyone. You put on your sunglasses and a sunhat, then relax into an enjoyable book while the children play at the lakeshore where you can easily keep an eye on them.
Just as you are starting to escape back into the storyline of your novel, you feel a stinging prick on your bare shoulders, then another on your neck. Then you hear your teenage daughter give a short scream.
You look up to find your children running towards you as you subconsciously slap the back of your neck.
That’s when you realize that there was one thing you forgot about when going to the lake – Mosquitos!
Why today? Why here? Why us?
The next day it is raining, and the kids want to get out of the house. You wonder to yourself, “do mosquitoes come out during rain?”
Here are seven fascinating facts about Mosquitos that will answer those questions and allow you to be better prepared for Mosquitos on your next picnic outing.
- ONLY FEMALE MOSQUITOES BITE
Whether you are taking your relaxing break at the local lake or hitting the beach on a tropical island holiday, Mosquitos are everywhere!
There are more than 3,000 species of Mosquitos that can be found in almost every part of the planet.
The main food source of Mosquitos is nectar and plant sap.
It is only the female mosquitos that bite because they need the protein from blood to produce their eggs.
- MOSQUITOES GROW UP FAST
Mosquitoes lay approximately 100 eggs at a time. It takes just 7 – 10 days for each of those eggs to grow into an adult Mosquito.
If you see a Mosquito laying eggs near your home, you should act fast or you could soon have hundreds and thousands more Mosquitos bothering you constantly.
- FEMALE MOSQUITOES LOVE RAIN AND STAGNANT WATER
Not only can mosquitoes fly when it’s raining, but they also depend on rainfall to reproduce. Mosquito populations boom after it rains.
So, they feed while it is raining, and then they lay their eggs in still or stagnant water or on wet earth. They can breed in less than a teaspoon full of water.
If you have Mosquitos near your home, remove or clean out anything that could be trapping water. This could be old tires, children’s wading pools, birdbaths, holes in trees, saucers underneath plants, and even a bottle cap. Protect your family from mosquitoes by regularly removing areas of standing water near your home.
- MOSQUITOES HAVE BIG APPETITES
How much blood a Mosquito will suck out of you will depend on the species and its size.
Some female Mosquitos will drink their entire body weight in a single meal. Imagine a human weighing 150 pounds and eating 150 pounds of food for dinner!
- MOSQUITOES DO PREFER TO BITE SOME PEOPLE MORE THAN OTHERS
If you sometimes feel like you are getting bitten more often than others who are nearby you, you may not be imagining it.
Mosquitos are attracted to a combination of body heat, odor, lactic acid from our sweat, and the carbon dioxide we emit when we breathe. In the same way, people might prefer a Coke over a Pepsi, Mosquitos might find your combination of those factors to be more attractive than other people.
Remember, humans, are not the only animals on the planet with blood. Mosquitos will also bite animals and have been doing so since the age of the dinosaurs, and for millions of years before that. Your family pets are just as likely to get bitten as you are.
Mosquitos use their receptors and vision to find their victims and can find their next tasty treat from as much as 160 feet away.
- MOSQUITOES ARE MORE ACTIVE WHEN THE MOON IS FULL
It’s not just werewolves you need to steer clear of when the moon is full!
Mosquito activity increases by 500% on a night with a full moon. This is because they use visual clues to find their next meal. For nighttime snacks, a full moon makes it far easier to see.
- COLOR ATTRACTS MOSQUITOES
Because Mosquitos use visual cues to find their next meal, wearing a variety of colors will attract them. Females Mosquitos like to digest their meals in dark places. If you wear black, they may be attracted to you, however, they have already fed, so are unlikely to bite you
HOW TO AVOID MOSQUITO BITES
What have you learned to protect yourself and your family from becoming a four-course meal to a horde of hungry Mosquitos?
Hiding in the male toilets at the camping ground won’t keep the female Mosquitos out, they can’t read.
Here are some things you can do to avoid Mosquito bites:
- wear plain colors,
- cover as much of your skin as possible with clothing
- don’t be too active so that you avoid sweating,
- keep away from stagnant water,
- cover up on nights with a full moon or stay inside,
- remove any sites around the home where water could sit and stagnate, and
- purchase quality insect repellant.
