Mosquitoes are feared by people since they act as carriers of diseases that might even take lives. When they are not spreading any infection, they are annoying enough that people keep on swatting them. There is no surprise why many people think that we should get rid of them completely. The pesky mosquitoes actually don’t deserve this bad name since there are many species that don’t even feed on humans. However, the ones that do suck human blood are pretty irritating. In this post, we will discuss some facts about mosquitoes like lifespan of a mosquito and life cycle of mosquitoes. But most importantly we will discuss about how to protect ourselves from getting bitten by these tiny monsters.
What is the Lifespan of Mosquitoes?
When we talk about the lifespan of a mosquito, it is very short especially the lifespan of male adults. Male adult mosquito can live only for seven days which is quite short which makes us feel a little bit sorry for him. Male mosquitoes feed only on plant nectar and sap. Actually, males are good guys and never feed on blood. But this is not the case with female mosquitoes. Female mosquitoes are the culprits who feed on blood for laying eggs and ensure the survival of their species. Female mosquitoes live for about five months with the average lifespan of six weeks. Some females lay eggs only once in their lifetime while others can lay eggs numerous times.
Know about the Lifecycle of Mosquitoes!
Female mosquitoes lay eggs in still water that is not disturbed so much. This is because the larvae need air while growing in water and even slight disturbances can make them dive deeper into the water. So still water is preferred by female mosquitoes to lay eggs. Eggs are always produced more by female mosquitoes to ensure the survival of species. The eggs then hatch into larvae which in turn develop into pupa. The whole process will be over within two weeks and from the pupa, the adult mosquito will be released. This is the lifecycle of a mosquito and the males then mate with females to continue the process. We hope now you have clear idea about the lifespan of a mosquito and lifecycle of mosquito.
What are the Fatal Diseases spread by Mosquitoes?
There are many fatal diseases that are spread by female mosquitoes since only they feed on human blood. Encephalitis, Dengue, Malaria are some of the diseases that are spread by mosquitoes and they have proved to be fatal.Despite the short lifespan of a mosquito, a mosquito can spread diseases quite quickly. This is the main reason that mosquitoes are hated by people.Their bites are pretty painful leading us to scratch ourselves and sometimes blisters are produced.
Fight Mosquitoes with Quality Repellents!
It is important to protect ourselves from these mosquito bites with the help of best repellents and bug sprays. Some people use cheap alternatives like listerene to ward off mosquitoes but the alternatives are not as efficient as store bought repellents. These repellents block the smell of a person and hence the mosquito cannot trace any emissions from them. Thus, the mosquitoes don’t bite them as they cannot sense any smell. Some products also have herbal ingredients which will not harm your skin and can be used on babies too. Also, if you want to protect yourself from mosquitoes, then dress accordingly like wearing full length shirts and trousers.
Not all Mosquito Species are our Enemies!
More than 3000 species of mosquitoes are there on earth and not all of them are vector carriers. Only some species carry the disease causing pathogens and spread them among humans. Also, when we look at lifespan of a mosquito the duration is very short. This is the reason behind the hesitation to completely wipe out the species. Even if we develop methods to kill mosquitoes, it is essential that we kill only the harmful species and leave out the rest. You will be interested to know that Elephant mosquito is a species that eats the larvae of other disease carrying mosquito species. Thus it is unethical to eradicate the gentle giants that are actually helpful to humans.
Steps to take to Avoid Mosquitoes near your Home
It is important to clear any puddle of water near your house if you want to reduce the mosquito population. Since standing water is the breeding ground for mosquitoes, care should be taken to avoid any puddle formation. Even birdbaths can act as breeding grounds for mosquitoes. So, be careful and take steps to clear even shallow puddles of water around your house and in your neighborhood. If you are living in areas with high mosquito population, then make use of best effective repellents. These repellents come in many forms and some of them are room sprays. Even moisturizing lotions and oils with mosquito repelling properties are available in shops nowadays. You can apply them on your skin since they are safe to use on skin.