It wouldn’t be summer without those annoying mosquitoes. While mosquitoes may be a nuisance, they are interesting insects. How much do you know about these summer pests? Your Lake of the Ozarks pest control company gathered 10 fun facts about mosquitoes:
1. Mosquito means “Little Fly” in Spanish.
Mosca is Spanish for fly. -ito was added to the end because they were similar to the fly, just smaller.
2. Mosquitoes fly an estimated 1 to 1.5 miles per hour.
Although mosquitoes are tiny, they are not very fast. In the insect world, mosquitoes are very slow, falling far behind honey bees and locusts.
3. Salt marsh mosquitoes may travel up to 100 miles to find a home and 40 miles to find a meal.
Most mosquitoes stay fairly close to their breeding area. The salt marsh mosquitoes, however, will fly long distances to find a suitable place to live.
4. Mosquitoes harmonize their wing beats to their mates.
When a male and female mosquito meet, their buzzing will synchronize to the same speed. An average mosquito’s wing beat is 300 – 600 times per second.
5. An adult mosquito can live up to 5 – 6 months.
Few mosquitos make it that long, but in the right circumstances, an adult mosquito has a long life expectancy.
6. Only female mosquitoes bite humans and animals.
Females need protein for their eggs, so they need our blood to reproduce. Males, however, feed on flower nectar since they don’t need the extra protein. When females are not reproducing, they will feed off flowers too.
7. Mosquitos can detect carbon dioxide from up to 75 feet away.
Mosquitoes rely on carbon dioxide, which humans and animals produce, to signal food is near. Once a female detects carbon dioxide, she flies back and forth until she locates the food source.
Some mosquitoes feed on other animals, such as amphibians or birds, and will not bother people at all.
9. Mosquitoes’ spit is what makes us itch.
As the mosquito feeds, she will leave behind a drop of saliva, which serves as an anticoagulant to help them feed. Unfortunately for us, most of us have a natural immune response to it that results in itchiness.
10. There are about 3,000 mosquito species in the world.
Between 150 and 200 of those species can be found in North America.
Keep Mosquitoes Out with A B Pest Control & Insulation
If you have a mosquito problem in your home, call A B Pest Control & Insulation. We pride ourselves on exemplary service and we stand behind our work. We offer flexible service schedules to meet your pest control and budget needs. Don’t let mosquitos and other pests ruin your summer fun. Your Lake of the Ozarks’ pest control company offers a wide range of pest control services.
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