Aliens from outer space or a form of devolutionised vampires, nerds around the world have tried and failed to understand just what, who and why Mosquitoes seem to be part and parcel of the Nigerian living environment. With fatal and non-fatal attacks reported nation-wide the country seems to have given up hope that there will ever be a complete exterminations. Our insecticides are failin but our information cannot. But here’s a quick lowdown of semi-important facts swiped off the internet that you should know before attempting to deal with these aggressors.
1. only female mosquitoes bite. Both male and female feed mainly on fruit and plant nectar, but the female also needs the protein in blood to help her eggs develop. Once she's had her fill of blood, she'll rest for a couple of days before laying her eggs.
2. A mosquito can drink up to three times its weight in blood. Don't worry, though. It would take about 1.2 million bites to drain all the blood from your body…unless you’ve already had that then you probably should worry
3. Mosquitoes can smell human breath. They have receptors on their antennae that detect the carbon dioxide released when we exhale. Those plumes of CO2 rise into the air, acting as trails that the mosquitoes follow to find the source. Lesson? Brush your teeth kids!
4. Mosquitoes have been around since the Jurassic period. That makes them about 210 million years old. They've been mentioned throughout history, including in the works of Aristotle around 300 B.C. and in writings by Sidonius Apollinaris in 467 B.C. No idea who that is but damn they’re old.
5. Mosquitoes do not transmit HIV. The virus that causes AIDS does not replicate in mosquitoes and is actually digested in their stomachs, so it's broken down without being passed on.
6. Dark clothing attracts mosquitoes. Remember, they are drawn to heat and darker clothes retain more heat than light-colored clothing
7. PEOPLE WITH FAIR SKIN ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE BITTEN…NOT!It is no secret that when mosquitoes bite, people have a reaction that usually results in small red bumps. This is caused by a component in mosquito saliva, which prevents blood from clotting while they’re still drinking. The reason many people with fair skin believe that they are more popular with the pests, is that they usually have a stronger reaction to mosquito bites. This may make it look as though fair-skinned people receive more bites, but in actuality, the bites are just more prominent.
8. ATTRACTING BATS IS AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO ERADICATE MOSQUITOESFor years, people have been suggesting that one of the best ways to get rid of a mosquito infestation is to attract bats to your yard.. In a contained setting with no other food sources available, the bats, of course, will decimate mosquito populations.. But..what happens after the mosquitoes are gone?...
9. Mosquitoes are slow fliers Mosquitoes average a flight speed of 1 to 1.5 miles per hour. That might sound fast, but they're not setting any insect speed records. If a race were held between all the flying insects, nearly every other contestant would beat the mosquito .
10. Do mosquitoes make sounds? Apart from their wings which beats beat 300-600 times per second most species make no audible sounds. This would explain that irritating buzzing sound you hear just before a mosquito lands on you and bites. .
So turns out there isn’t anything particularly interesting about our neighborhood vampires but hey! Neat facts right? Hopefully this will aid in your future battles. May the odds be ever in your favor. .
Yours truly,
-Nosy Nigerian
IN CASE I SPOKE TOO MUCH ENGLISH…...
here is a link on HOW TO USE A DICTIONARY
REFERENCES
Megacatch: Mosquito facts
Mosquito Magnet
Thought-co.com: What good are mosquitoes
