Mosquitoes are very common, and that is why people think they know all about them. However, there are many uncommonly known facts about these pesky blood-sucking creatures that one may find fascinating.
Nevertheless, if the buzzing sound of mosquitoes and the bites are causing you to stay awake all night, you might have a mosquito problem in your house. Swatting them with your hands won’t work for the long term. Therefore, call pest control Leon Valley, TX services today.
Interesting and unknown facts about mosquitoes
- Mosquitoes cause the most number of deaths per year.
When you think of a deadly animal, the image of a lion or a cheetah may appear in your mind. However, mosquitoes have been named the deadliest animal in the world as they cause the most number of deaths. These insects kill around 1,000,000 humans every year and significantly contribute to major diseases, namely Dengue, Malaria, and Zika.
- Male mosquitoes do not bite.
All the mosquitoes that have ever bitten you were females, not males. The sole purpose of them sucking your blood is to reproduce offspring. The protein they collect from your blood is required for the development of the eggs, and thus, only female mosquitoes bite.
- Mosquitoes are not strong fliers.
If you notice properly, mosquitoes fly differently from other flying insects and are quite bad at it. Their wings are smaller in comparison to their body size, and they cannot fly for long without rest. The estimated speed of mosquitoes is calculated at 1 to 1.5 mph.
- Mosquitoes come in 3,600 different species.
Along with being large in numbers, mosquitoes have a large number of different species too. There are around 3600 species, of which 100 carry diseases that are harmful to humans, and only 200 of them bite. They can be found anywhere in the tropic and subtropic parts of the world with human habitations, except Antarctica.
- The average mosquito lives for less than two months.
Although they are the deadliest animal globally, mosquitoes do not live for long. A female mosquito usually lives for a month or two in ideal conditions, whereas a male mosquito lives for three to five days after mating.
- Mosquitoes love carbon dioxide.
One of the reasons mosquitoes can detect and are attracted to humans is that they love the carbon dioxide gas we exhale. They have a special organ, called maxillary palp, to follow the smell of CO₂ released by us.
As you read in the blog, mosquitoes are interesting creatures, but they can be highly deadly. One million people is not an insignificant amount, and if you have mosquitoes in your house, you need to start thinking about eliminating them with pest control services.
