Central Mass Mosquito Control | Mosquito Protection

Mosquito Taste Buds: The key to reducing mosquito-borne illnesses?

A new study on the Aedes aegypti could hold the key to reducing mosquito-borne illnesses.  Mosquitoes have taste buds.  Who knew? The Aedes aegypti is a nasty blood-sucker.  Known as the yellow fever mosquito, this thirsty aerial invader is also responsible for the spread of dengue fever, chikungunya, and Zika virus.  Scientists have found that mosquitoes have taste buds, making the female mosquito able to differentiate between salty and sweet.  What does human blood taste like?  We are sweet and savory to the Aedes aegypti, which makes us much different from nectar.  Human blood to mosquitoes, could be likened to a salt-rimmed margarita or a salted caramel cappuccino.

Where do mosquitoes go in the winter?

Do mosquitoes migrate when the weather begins to cool?  Do they die?  Where do mosquitoes go in the winter? The life cycle of a mosquito depends on the species, sex, and even the environment.  For instance, male mosquitoes tend to have a shorter lifespan than females.  Male mosquitoes usually mate once and die.  Their lifespan is an average of one week.  The female mosquito usually lives through three breeding cycles.  They can lay eggs about every third day of their life.  Depending on their mating schedule, female mosquitoes can live a couple of weeks or even a month.  One study found that the West Nile mosquito species, Culex, survived longer in mild summer temperatures.  Extreme temperatures saw shorter lifespans for both male and female Culex mosquitoes.  What about wintertime temperatures?

Do all mosquitoes bite humans?

Mosquitoes!  We go to war with these tiny blood suckers every warm season.  Are all those annoying mosquitoes only females, or do all mosquitoes bite humans? Male mosquitoes do not bite humans or animals. They feed on nectar alone.  If a male mosquito is close to you, it will simply be annoying. That said, male mosquitoes typically avoid contact with humans. They don’t need us after all.  If you are experiencing swarms of mosquitoes, they are likely all female.

Do mosquitoes live in mulch?

Insects are survivors.  You may have heard a commonly stated line about the hardiness of cockroaches and that “they will survive a nuclear attack after everything else is gone”.  It’s true that nature has provided all insects with adaptations that…
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