Facts About Mosquito Bites

The word "mosquito" comes from the Spanish or Portuguese meaning, "little fly". Cute, right? Not when it's sticking its stinger in you. Mosquitoes are the worst. Nothing can ruin a cookout faster than a ton of mosquitoes. But there are some interesting facts you might want to know, before you spray some DEET on, and just try to ignore them.

Food for thought

Most people don't know, but there are many species of mosquito that are not blood eaters. And, in the species that do eat blood, it is the female that does the feeding. But it's not like the males are all at home, watching the game, and just too lazy to go out and stab a couple people with their stinger. They're out and about. They simply prefer nectar and sources of sugar. The females need a blood meal before they can mate, and that is what motivates them to ruin your picnic. They fly in, suck your blood, and then create even more mosquitoes.

Here are a couple reasons you might be covered in mosquito bites.

Since mosquitoes like nectar and sugar--even the females--they prefer to bite people who have a high level of sugar in their blood. If you've ever wondered why your sweet-avoiding friends hardly ever get bitten, that's why. Female mosquitoes are also drawn to the following.

• People with type O blood.

• People with a lot of bacteria on their skin

• Heavy breathers. Mosquitoes are drawn to carbon dioxide, because it is evidence that a warm blooded animal is near.

• Pregnant ladies, because of the increased nutrients in their blood, and because they're breathing heavy. Carrying a baby is hard work.

• People with high body heat.

Dangers of being bitten.

Beyond the itchy irritation many experience, because the female leaves a toxin in the skin, mosquitoes deposit other, more harmful, agents. Mosquitoes are known to carry the following viruses and diseases.

• Yellow fever

• Dengue fever

• Chikungunya

• West Nile virus

• Tularemia

• Malaria

• Lymphatic filariasis

• Eastern equine encephalitis virus

If you have an abundance of mosquitoes in your backyard, don't wait for them to come to you, take the fight to them. Have your yard treated for mosquitoes, and severely reduce their population, and subsequently, the number of bites you get this summer. With a quick lawn treatment, your summer cookouts will be vastly more enjoyable, and you might even be able to avoid the flu this fall. Wouldn't that be nice.