MOSQUITOES

" If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a room with an active mosquito"

I think we can all relate to that!

A mosquitoes life consists of 4 stages: egg, larvae, pupa, and adult. An adult can expect to spend 4-8 weeks on this Earth, that is the female, males only live about 1 week. Male mosquitoes subsist on nectar and plant juices. Females can survive on this diet as well but must have blood meals to facilitate egg production. The insects usually mate within a few days after reaching adulthood. Males will swarm together in the evenings, usually around dusk, and the females will fly into the swarms to mate. After the female has mated and has sufficient blood intake, she will rest for a few days, lay her eggs, then begin the process again. This is repeated until her death.

There are some questions I have always had about mosquitoes, you have probably wondered too!

1) Why do they seem to like biting me more than others?
2) Where do they go during the day?
3) How do they survive the cold months?
4) Why does their bite itch so much?

Ok, mosquitoes have an incredible sense of smell. They have 72 odor sensing receptors on their antennae, 27 of them are dialed in to detect chemicals found in human sweat. Some folk's sweat just smells better to them than others, but it is the proportions of carbon dioxide, octenol, and other compounds than make up body odor.

During the heat and sun of the day, mosquitoes hang out in tunnels they burrow right below the roots of grass. This is where they hibernate through the frigid months as well. Keeping our lawns maintained goes a long way in keeping populations down. It amazes me how mosquitoes always seem ready to chew on you the first warm evenings of the year!

They have a stinger-like structure that allows them to penetrate skin and draw blood from their victims. Mosquitoes have saliva that contain antigens that stimulates an immediate immune response in humans- thats what causes the itching and swelling.

It is estimated that mosquitoes transmit disease to over 700 million people annually worldwide, resulting in 2 million deaths. There are no accurate numbers available for the impact on animals. Due to the mosquitoes feeding techniques on their victims, they are the perfect disease-spreading insect.

Mosquitoes are difficult to control due to their rapid and frequent breeding patterns. Removing possible breeding areas (stagnate water) and keeping your yard and barn areas maintained is the first line of defense. In the past, insecticides like DDT (now banned) were used successfully but were toxic and harmful chemicals. DEET is a popular repellant but lately has been scrutined over its safety as it has been linked to serious disorders in children and adults. Luckily, there are now safe and natural products available to help keep the skeeters in check. As with any product you purchase, I encourage you to consider the safety of your loved ones and the environment when making your final decision. GREEN FOR ALL !!