Mosquitoes are common pests in Chandler, but as common as they are, people still have many questions about them. The questions we hear most often have to do with how mosquitoes bite people. Have you ever wondered, “Why do mosquitoes bite me and not my friend?” If so, you’ve found the right article. We are going to pull the shroud of mystery aside and explain all of the details you need to know about why mosquitoes bite, how they do it, and why one person is more interesting to mosquitoes than another. If you’re here because you just want to say goodbye to mosquitoes in your yard, we’re happy to help with that as well. Green Home Pest Control is the right choice for Chandler mosquito control services. We provide seasonal control for these frustrating pests. Jump to our contact page to connect with us, or learn more by checking out our mosquito control page. With that said, let’s look at some facts about mosquitoes and how you can prevent mosquito bites.
Mosquito Biology 101: How Mosquitoes Work
The biology of a mosquito is important to understand as it provides insight into why mosquitoes bite, how they spread viruses, and how bites are prevented. In this section, we’ll specifically look at how mosquitoes operate. Then, we’ll look at why some people tend to get more bites than others and how you can use mosquito biology to reduce the risk of mosquito bites in your yard. Here are the basic facts about mosquito biology.
Mosquitoes in Chandler eat nectar and plant sap. Does that surprise you? It is often a surprise when we share this fact with our customers. Most Chandler residents think mosquitoes live on blood meals. But this is actually not the case. Mosquitoes need nectar and plant sap for general sustenance.
Only female mosquitoes bite humans. When a female mosquito is ready to produce eggs, she’ll take a blood meal to get the food resources she needs. Therefore, acquiring a blood meal is not a small deal for a mosquito. When you apply deterrents, it isn’t like you’re depriving her of one insignificant meal. She needs a blood meal to ensure the continuance of her species.
Mosquitoes have thin skins and dry out easily. If a mosquito gets dehydrated, it can die. So mosquitoes gravitate to moist or humid habits. For this reason, they’re often found in landscape vegetation.
Mosquitoes are weak fliers. When mosquitoes come into your yard, they aren’t going to fly around in a swarm waiting to bite you. They’ll spend most of their time resting. So, when mosquitoes start bugging you as soon as you leave your home, you should know that those mosquitoes belong to you. They live on your property.
You may wonder, do mosquitoes die after they bite you? We wish! After a female draws a blood meal, she will not only survive to bite again; she will lay 50 to 200 eggs in your yard. The mosquitoes that hatch from those eggs present additional bite risks for you and your family.
Most female mosquitoes lay eggs in stagnant water. They do this so that their larvae will have microorganisms to feed on when they hatch from their eggs. A baby mosquito isn’t a winged insect. It is a worm that wriggles down into the water when disturbed, which is why entomologists call them wrigglers. These larvae turn into pupae that tumble in the water. As you can guess, they are called tumblers. Pupae develop into adults, which are winged insects.
When adults rise out of the water and female mosquitoes search for a blood meal, how does this work? How do mosquitoes bite people? The female has a special mouthpart called a proboscis. It pierces the skin and draws the blood out. As it does this, the saliva of the mosquito helps to anesthetize the bite. If you’ve ever wondered why you have mosquito bites but don’t remember getting bitten by mosquitoes, this is the reason. The saliva of the mosquito is also the source of viral contamination. If a mosquito only bit one time and died, it would not have the ability to spread malaria, Zika virus, West Nile virus, and other diseases around the world. But, it draws in the virus from an infected person or animal and holds it in its gut. The virus moves to the salivary glands and is administered when the mosquito feeds again on another host. Not all mosquitoes can spread viruses, and only certain mosquitoes are able to spread certain harmful diseases.
Now you know what you need to know to address mosquito problems and prevent bites. Do you see some practical applications for the facts we shared? If not, don’t worry. We will connect the dots for you. Let’s turn our attention to why people get mosquito bites and how these facts play a role in mosquito bite prevention.
Why Some People Seem To Get Bitten By Mosquitoes More Than Others
Some people are a magnet for mosquitoes. Others wonder why mosquitoes don’t pay any attention to them. If you’re a mosquito magnet, you’re probably wondering why. Let’s run down through the facts we shared earlier and consider some applications. We’ll also look at a few unique ways some people attract mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes eat nectar. If you smell like a flower, what do you think will happen? Yep. You’re going to draw mosquitoes to you. Wearing perfume or cologne is a mosquito attractant.
Nectar and plant sap are sources of carbohydrates. Researchers have found that people with carbohydrates in their blood will be more palatable to mosquitoes because they provide a source of proteins and carbohydrates. If you like sweets, mosquitoes are going to like you. How do mosquitoes know you taste sweet? They can smell it in your body odor.
Another way your body odor can attract mosquitoes is if you consume a beer. Drinking alcohol stimulates mosquito attraction. All you have to do is drink one beer at an outdoor party to become more interesting to mosquitoes.
Moisture is important to a mosquito, so they are attracted to people who are sweating. The production of sweat also provides the odors that lure mosquitoes to you.
Female mosquitoes are looking for a blood meal, and you may have the right blood for them. Researchers have discovered that people with type O blood are more interesting to mosquitoes.
It is possible that you may just smell better to mosquitoes than other people. There are certain acids that attract mosquitoes, such as carboxylic acid.
Now that you know why mosquitoes might want to bite you more than other people, it is time to look at how you can turn the tables on those pests. Let’s discuss how you can use what you’ve learned so far to help you prevent mosquito bites.
How To Reduce Your Risk For Mosquito Bites At Home And Around Chandler
You might find it discouraging if you are one of the unfortunate humans who attract mosquitoes, but we have good news for you. The solution to mosquito bites does not require you to change the conditions that make you attractive to mosquitoes, which is good since you have no ability to change many of those conditions. The secret to mosquito control is to make your yard less attractive to mosquitoes so that you don’t have mosquitoes trying to bite you – no matter who you are.
There are a few ways you can reduce mosquito populations in your yard using the facts we’ve shared. Let’s quickly go down through them in the order we shared them.
Reduce weeds in your lawn and landscaping to reduce nectar and plant sap mosquitoes feed on.
Clean your gutters to reduce moisture in your landscaping, and trim your plants to help reduce humidity even further.
If you’re outdoors sitting in one place, put a fan on you to keep mosquitoes away.
Remove stagnant water resources so female mosquitoes can’t lay hundreds of eggs on your property.
If you find water with wrigglers or tumblers in it, pour it out on the ground.
Taking these simple steps can have an impact on the number of mosquitoes in your yard. If you need greater control, contact a licensed pest management professional for seasonal mosquito control.
The Best Way To Reduce Mosquito Activity Around Your Chandler Home
There is no better way to make your yard feel like it is mosquito-free than to get professional mosquito control from Green Home Pest Control. Why? Because we target mosquitoes in two key ways. We apply a mist to key areas where mosquitoes rest on your property and knock down any adult mosquitoes hiding near your home. Along with this, we address mosquito breeding sites. The mist we apply has insect growth regulators that deter mosquito development. We may also apply larvicides where needed. But the most powerful tool in our toolbag is to install mosquito traps. The traps we use have a natural fungus in them that eliminate mosquitoes. These traps offer female mosquitoes an ideal breeding site they can’t resist, and they work to address adult mosquitoes and their eggs.
Would you like to learn more about mosquito control in Chandler? Contact Green Home Pest Control today. We look forward to helping you take your yard back from these irritating pests.
