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Most people are not aware that there are over 3,500 species of Mosquitoes in the world. Not only an annoying pest, mosquitoes also kill millions of people every year and have killed more humans than any other creature on the planet.
Their saliva acts like a local anesthetic while they search for blood vessels underneath our skin and are the only known creatures that can spit and suck at the same time. For humans and our pets, there are 3 particular types of mosquitoes that are responsible for transmitting some of the worst diseases.
The Aedes Mosquito
This type of mosquito can be usually found in tropical and subtropical areas of the world, however, their presence is growing and they are becoming more common in areas with more temperate climates such as North America and Europe.
The female of the Aedes species feed on the blood of humans and are more likely to live near human populations as its food source. Female Aedes lay their eggs on the surface of water and can lay hundreds of eggs at a time, each egg typically takes 6-7 days to reach adulthood. They can feed during daytime as well as dusk and dawn and transmit diseases such as yellow fever, dengue fever and the West Nile virus.
The Anopheles Mosquito
This type of mosquito is the one responsible for the spread of malaria to humans. Although malaria is limited to tropical areas, many of the Anopheles species live in colder climates and there is always the risk that the disease could be reintroduced to these areas.
They breed wherever there is a collection of stagnant rain water such as garden ponds, rainwater pools, irrigation channels, water coolers, wells, barrels, tins and even tyre tracks. A female Anopheles mosquito can lay up to 200 eggs at a time, each typically takes 5-14 day to reach adulthood.
The Culex Mosquito
This genus of mosquito is considered to be the least dangerous to humans, instead preferring to feed off the blood of birds. However, the Culex sometimes feeds off human blood and has been known to transfer dangerous diseases such as malaria and the West Nile. They usually feed at dawn and dusk. Breeding tends to take place in areas of stagnant water but they will not lay eggs in areas with plants or wild life. The female can lay up to 300 eggs, which will hatch in 2 days.
Brendan loves outdoor sports and summer camping with his family. Having been bitten for many years and tried all types of repellents, he discovered mosquito bands. Read more about mosquitoes and to find out how to prevent bites using mosquito bands.
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