The weather is finally warm here in the Des Moines, Iowa area and with that comes those pesky little bugs that bite! Yes, mosquitos. Thankfully, you have us on your side and we aim to educate and prevent. Below is a list of fun facts about mosquitos and some of them might surprise you!
- Mosquitos Hibernate
They prefer temperate over 80 degrees but when it gets below 50 degrees, they snuggle in for the winter.
- Dark Clothing Attracts Mosquitos
Remember, they are drawn to heat and darker colored clothes retain more heat than lighter color clothes. So if you head to the park downtown, rock those lighter clothes!
- Only Female Mosquitos Bite
Both males and females rely on fruit and nectar for their main source of nutrition, but females need the protein in blood to help develop her eggs.
- Bug Zappers Are Useless
Studies show that mosquitoes are less than 1% of the insects killed by bug zappers. If you want to enjoy a night on the patio, you’re better off buying a mosquito trap.
- Sweat Attracts Mosquitos
They are fond of octenol, which is a chemical that is released from our sweat glands. They also like the smell of skin lotions and perfume, just like us!
- Mosquitos Can Smell Our Breath
Carbon dioxide is released when we exhale and mosquitos have sensors on their antennae’s that allow them to follow the trail of CO2 to the source.
- Sweat Attracts Mosquitos
They are fond of octenol, which is a chemical that is released from our sweat glands. They also like the smell of skin lotions and perfume, just like us!
- Not All Mosquitos Bite Humans
Some species of mosquitos stay completely away from humans. The Culistea Melanura species, for example, strictly prefers birds.
- They Are Slow To Fly
On average, mosquitoes fly between 1 and 1.5 miles per hour, making them one of the slowest flying insects on the planet.
- Don’t Worry, It Takes A Lot Of Bites
In order for mosquitoes to completely drain an entire human body of blood, it would take about 1.2 million bites. So there’s no need to worry!
11. That’s A Lot Of Eggs!
In just a bottle cap of standing water, females can lay 100-400 eggs that will evolve into adults in 14-28 days.
