When it comes to mosquitoes as one of dangerous household insects that exist in abundance, we mean by that a large family that include more than 3500 different species, many of which cause serious diseases may kill humans and the least harmful ones cause annoyance due to their bites and blood sucking.
Today, we will discuss all general information concerning mosquitoes, species, harmful effects and the most important types of mosquitoes repellent.
Information about mosquitoes:
Mosquitoes belong to the insect family (Culicidae), it is called (mosquito) in English, which is a Spanish word meaning (small fly).
Mosquitoes are characterized by a cylindrical body that is divided into parts with two wings, a pair of sensors, three pairs of feet, and long mouthparts that is used for bloodsucking.
Mosquitoes live in temperatures above 21 degrees and prefer to live near swamps and water bodies.
The mosquito life cycle consists of:
Egg phase: where the mother lays her eggs on different water surfaces.
The larval phase: where the eggs hatch and produce movable larvae that feed on natural aquatic algae.
Puba phase: which precedes the adult insect phase.
The adult insect phase.
It is the female mosquito that always attacks you; feed on your blood, with slightly long mouthparts. These mouthparts can pierce the skin and flesh and allow mosquitoes to feed on your blood. The female mosquito needs to feed on blood to get the proteins and minerals needed for reproduction and later egg laying. One of the ways that mosquito species are separated is by determining the source of food, as some species feed on fish, animals, humans and other insects with blood. The host is not harmed by loss of blood, but harm and disease are always caused by mosquito saliva. Mosquito insects are one of the oldest insects on earth, where excavations have revealed that they were in Canada more than 79 million years ago. Some studies claim that the mosquito insects are older than this, their age goes back to 226 million years ago, but we have not yet witnessed any excavations to prove this claim.
Mosquito’s damages:
Mosquitoes cause a lot of damage to humans and food alike.
The type of damage mosquitoes cause depends on their species and the type of food sources they feed on.
If they feed on fruits or honey, you will notice that they are filled with holes and start to rot, but if they feed on blood, you will find signs of mosquito bites spread all over your body.
Mosquitoes cause many dangerous and deadly diseases to humans. For example:
Yellow fever disease:
The most important symptoms include loss of appetite and high temperature with the spread of muscle pain throughout the body, especially the back, the disease is not fatal and ends within five days, but the real danger comes from permanent damage to the liver and kidneys
Dengue fever disease:
Symptoms of this disease appear in 3 to 14 days after infection, and they include high temperature, vomiting, pain in the body and joints, in addition to a skin scare.
In some cases, the disease progresses and reaches an acute state, and here the risk of death begins. The disease is spread in tropical regions and South Asia in general.
Chikungunya disease:
Symptoms of this disease include high temperatures and inflammation in all joints of the body. The disease does not cause death in general, but its symptoms, specifically arthritis, may last for years.
Elephantiasis disease:
This disease causes swelling of all parts of the body, especially the limbs that were bitten. Despite this, many people do not show any symptoms
The disease does not cause death, but causes severe psychological damage.
Malaria disease:
It is one of the most common diseases caused by mosquitoes
Its symptoms do not differ much from the rest of the symptoms of mosquito diseases, but the most important of them is high temperature with constant nausea and bloody stools.
If the disease is treated, the symptoms do not develop, but the danger comes when treatment is neglected.
Zika virus:
Although this disease is quite old, the first case of that disease emerged in the 50s of the last century, but it did not get much media attention until 2016, where it began to spread in the United States of America.
The disease causes frequent miscarriages and may harm the fetus.
Cerebral meningitis:
Mosquitoes can infect you with an infection in the cerebral meninges (the membranes surrounding the brain) and this inflammation is usually accompanied with a high temperature in addition to neurological symptoms. The disease may be fatal if not treated fast.
Means of mosquito control:
There are many of different methods of mosquito control. However, we must differentiate between different mosquito outbreaks that suits different control methods.
The most important ways to control mosquitoes are:
Use of spray insecticides such as Fleet or DDT and mosquito-specific substances that make them escape the house and the whole area.
Use a higher concentration of DDT on water surfaces where mosquitoes are abundant.
Use of petroleum products at mosquito breeding places.
The use of electric detonators to resist mosquitoes.
The use of anti-mosquito covers, such transparent covers with very tiny holes to allow breathing, and they are widespread in mosquito-abundant countries.
Although these methods are very convenient and useful in protecting the house from mosquitoes, they are not a final solution.
It is better to contact a mosquito-control company so that you can locate the source of mosquitoes and eliminate them completely before they become a permanent problem.
You should try to get rid of mosquitoes on an ongoing basis, because of the diseases and damages they cause.