Our Blood Meal Is Just The Beginning Of A Mosquito Banquet

Have you ever wondered what do mosquitoes eat besides our blood? You know, what else gives them nourishment and pleasure when they are not feasting on our exposed ankles, arms, legs, and even our faces?  Contrary to what you think may be true, mosquitoes don’t feed solely on our blood. In fact, only female mosquitoes feed on blood in order to reproduce. The mosquito diet varies depending on their life stage.

Do mosquitoes only eat blood?

Food Supply For The Earliest Stage Of A Mosquito’s Life

In the beginning of their lifecycle, mosquito larvae feed on algae, bacteria, and other organic material in the water within which they live.  But later, as they grow and evolve into the pupal stage, they do not feed at all. Go figure.  As they reach adulthood, mosquitoes, both male and females alike, feed on nectar from flowering plants.  When sugar sources are scarce, female mosquitoes of some species can compensate by taking larger and more frequent blood meals. Male mosquitoes are exclusively dependent on plant nectar or alternative sugar sources.  Their plant preference is likely driven by an innate attraction that may be enhanced by experience, as mosquitoes learn to recognize available sugar rewards.  Seeking out nectar possibilities involves the integration of at least three sensory systems: olfaction, vision, and taste.  The prevention of vector-borne illnesses, the determination of the mosquitoes’ ecological role, and the design of efficient sugar-baited traps will all benefit from understanding the molecular basis of nectar-seeking.

Mosquitoes, like bees, feed on nectar.

Plant Nectar Is A Common Nutrition Source Across Mosquito Species

Nectar-feeding constitutes an important source of nutrition for adult mosquitoes of both sexes, particularly males, which feed exclusively from plant nectar and require frequent sugar intake for survival.  This behavior is often underappreciated when compared with blood-feeding because it is during the latter that transmission of pathogens can occur.  Surprisingly to this blogger, few mosquito species feed solely from plant sources. Females consume sugar sources as well as blood. If deprived of sugar, males typically die within 4 days of being deprived – YAY! – sorry about that.  Moreover, lacking the energy reserves needed for flying and copulation that come from a sugar meal, males are unlikely to achieve reproductive success – DOUBLE YAY!  As for the opposite sex, females feed not just on human blood, but also blood from birds, small mammals, snakes, and more.

Whatever They Choose To Eat, Just Make Sure You’re Not On The Menu – Choose Effective, Professional North Reading Mosquito Control

By subscribing to regularly administered professional barrier spray fogging mosquito control, you can avoid the pitfalls of mosquitoes lurking around your home and throughout your yard – especially just after irrigation sequences and heavy rain.