Identifying Mosquitoes
Types: The three most common mosquitoes that live in the United States are the Culex, Anopheles, and Aedes. Identifying each of these mosquito types can be difficult for the average individual.
Culex: Bite during the evening and night, both indoors and outdoors. These mosquitoes have been known to feed on human hosts. They transmit West Nile Virus.
Anopheles: Bite humans during dusk and dawn, indoors and outdoors. These mosquitoes prefer both human and other mammal hosts. They transmit Malaria, which in 2018 accounted for 405,000 deaths, most being younger children.
Aedes: Bite during daylight hours. These mosquitoes prefer to feed on human hosts. They transmit diseases such as Zika, Chikungunya, and Yellow Fever.
What Attracts them?
There are many different reasons a mosquito is more likely to bite their human hosts, including clothing, body makeup, and even alcohol consumption.
- Apparel: According to Jonathan Day, a professor of medical entomology and University of Florida, says that wearing dark colors such as navy, black, and even red will make you easier to spot when mosquitoes are looking for human hosts.
- Blood type: People who have blood type O are twice as attractive to mosquitoes than those with blood types A and B.
- Gas: Mosquitoes can sense and are attracted to carbon dioxide up to 160 feet away. The more a human exhales the more carbon dioxide they release, thus making them a more prominent target.
- Heat and Sweat: Mosquitoes can also smell the lactic acid, uric acid, ammonia and other compounds emitted through sweat. Therefore, mosquitoes are much more attracted to a human that is warmer and tend to sweat more.
- Pregnancy: Women who are pregnant are more likely to become victims of mosquitoes. Researchers believe this is due to the increase in carbon dioxide women emit when pregnant. Researchers also found that the stomach of a pregnant women is 1.26 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than a typical stomach ultimately making them more attractive to mosquitoes.
- Beer: A study found that mosquitoes were significantly more attracted to participants after drinking a 12- ounce beer. This was due to the increase in ethanol content in the sweat and skin of the participants.
Whatever your problem may be, it seems that the odds are stacked against us as humans. Dealing with and treating for mosquitoes can be a nightmare. Luckily there are people who can help you regain control of your yard and get you back to enjoying your summer nights.
If you or anyone you know are having problems with mosquitoes, please send us an email or give us a call. We will be happy to answer your questions and assist with your pest issue(s), no obligation required.
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