MOSQUITO TRIVIA
- A mosquito lives for approximately 20 days.
- Most mosquitoes fly less than a mile during their lifetime, but the ferocious salt-marsh mosquito - found in the Everglades and other coastal locations - can migrate 75 - 100 miles.
- Mosquitoes can fly at an estimated 1 - 1.5 miles per hour.
- Malaria parasites have evolved resistance to Chloroquine ... and then to several successor drugs. This plant-derived medicine killed the parasites before they gained a foothold in their victim.
- Increase in travel and international trade has moved drug-resistant parasites around the world.
- There are approximately 2,700 species of mosquitoes, and more than 50 species are resistant to at least one insecticide.
- The male mosquito never sucks blood - he drinks nectar.
- The female mosquito will drink about 5-milllionths of a litre of blood in one sitting.
- Mosquito saliva and rat poison both contain anti-coagulants ... chemicals that prevent the blood from clotting.
- A mosquito has 47 teeth!
- A mosquito weighs about 2 - 2.5 milligrams (for an Aedes aegypti).
- A mosquito needs stagnant water to lay eggs.
- A mosquito can survive at sea level and up to altitudes as high as 10,800 feet (3,600 meters).
- Mosquitoes find you by sight - observing movement - and the infra-red radiation emitted by warm bodies.
- A mosquito can smell a new host from between 20 - 25 meters away.
- Aside from skin chemicals, mosquitoes have other ways of finding you - they can detect both carbon dioxide and lactic acid (produced by metabolism in your muscles) in your breath.
What Mosquitoes don't like:
- Vitamin B or Iron.
- A stiff breeze.
- The African Neem Tree.
- Bug zappers. However, several critics say these zappers fry more beneficial insects than harmful ones, including the insects that eat mosquitoes.
- Swallows, Purple Martins, and Bats. The ecological approach could be to put up a bat-house. Bats gobble hundreds of mosquitoes each hour!
- Repellent sprayed around doors. Mosquitoes like to lie in wait on the outside of doors and windows.
What attracts Mosquitoes:
- Some people are unusually attractive to mosquitoes, depending upon one or more of the 300-odd chemicals produced by the skin.
- Blondes and vegetarians. They are attracted to one of the chemicals released by the metabolism used for digesting vegetables.
- Black, green, blue and floral patterned clothing. Wear white or light coloured clothing.
- Dusk and dawn.
- Water.
- High Cholesterol.
- Type O blood
- Carbon Dioxide
- Sweat
- Bacteria
- Beer
- Pregnancy
- Moisture and sweat
- Fragrances
Reduce the risk of bites:
- Use natural antiperspirant
- Keep cool
- Don't drink alcohol
- Use a mosquito net
- Stay away from standing water
- Use unscented hygiene products
- Apply these oils: Neem - Lemon Eucalyptus - citronella, lemongrass and rosemary.
Reduce itching:
https://www.optiderma.com/articles/natural-remedies-mosquito-bite-itching/amp/
- Tee tree or lavender essential oils.
- Green Tea - insert green tea bag in very cold water and then place it over the bite for 10-12 minutes. The chemical is effective against inflammation and the cold temperature helps to sooth the itch.
- Apple Cider Vinegar - Take a cotton ball and soak it in the vinegar. Place the ball on the bite and hold it for 10-12 minutes.
- Apple Cider Vinegar and white flour - mix into a paste and apply to the itch, leaving the paste to dry. This reduces the swelling and soothes the itch. Wash off the paste with warm water.
- Honey - This is a natural antiseptic. Place the honey over the bite. However, other insects may be attracted to the honey! Stay indoors when using this method.
- Aloe Vera - This has anti-inflammatory properties and will reduce the swelling. This is the most effective when using a leaf from an actual Aloe Vera plant. Put the leaf in the fridge to cool it, then rub over the bite. This reduces both the itch and the swelling.
- Lemon and Lime juice - Place directly onto the bite. You can also rub the peels of the fruit on the affected area. The citric acid from lemon and lime juice prevents the bite from becoming infected.
- Generic Aspirin - Crush some aspirin pills (those with no additives) into a dish and mix with refrigerated water. Stir into a thick paste and rub it onto the bite. This is effective against inflammation and remove the itch almost immediately.
https://www.optiderma.com/articles/natural-remedies-mosquito-bite-itching/amp/