10 Mosquito Facts You May Not Know

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May 15, 2018

In case you’re attending a trivia night and the topic of mosquitoes comes up, you’ll be prepared with these fascinating mosquito facts.

  1. There are more than 2,500 varieties of mosquitos (some entomologists claim 3,000) ranging from the Arctic tundra to the tropical rain forests.
  2. Female mosquitoes have piercing mouth parts and feed on blood. Male mosquitoes only feed on plant nectar.
  3. It would take 1,200,000 mosquitoes, each sucking once, to completely drain the average human of blood.
  4. In the Arctic, Canadian researchers who bared their arms, legs, and torsos reported as many as 9,000 bites per minute from swarming, newly hatched mosquitoes. (How would you like THAT job?)
  5. Once a feeding mosquito is full, a chemical signal shuts down the intake. When that signal is disabled in the lab, mosquitoes suck until they explode.
  6. Millions of people alive today will die of a mosquito-transmitted disease. Malaria alone claims some 1,000,000 lives a year in Africa. Other top killers include dengue, yellow fever, and West Nile virus.
  7. Mosquitoes have killed more humans than all the wars in history.
  8. Beer drinkers are more attractive to mosquitoes. In a 2011 French study, researchers found that drinking 3 cans of beer lead to 30% more mosquito bites. What a buzzkill!
  9. Mosquito wings beat 300-600 times per second. Hence the incessant buzzing you hear on a summer’s night.
  10. A mosquito develops from egg to adulthood within four to seven days. And once they hatch, they’re ready to bite (the females, at least).

So there you have it – 10 fascinating facts about those annoying mosquitoes. Call DA Exterminating if you need expert mosquito control. 800-650-PEST.