Recently my family and I went to the zoo. As we went through and saw all the animals, we came upon the apex predators. Lions, tigers, alligators and other animals looked dangerously upon us. My son asked me an interesting question: what’s the most dangerous animal? The truth is that none of these large predators are the most dangerous animal in the world. The most dangerous animal in the world is the mosquito. The reason for this is because it’s a vector for so many diseases. But how do mosquitoes bite? Let’s take a minute to explore this.
THE MOSQUITO BITE
Out of all the aspects of this tiny insect, the worst part about it is it’s bite. Mosquitoes have special mouthparts that are specially designed to suck your blood. These mouthparts are called the proboscis. The mouth acts like a needle that it injects through the skin. then it uses it’s proboscis like a straw to drain a small amount of blood out of your body. During the process, saliva is passed to your skin in order to numb the area and keep you from knowing that the mosquito is biting you. Your Broken Arrow Pest Control company can help.
It’s the saliva that your body actually reacts to. It can cause the bite area to raise in a small bump, redness around the bite area or other mild reactions. Some people have very harsh reactions to mosquito bites. This could mean they could have large areas of swelling, soreness or redness. In most cases the severe reactions occur in children, adults that haven’t been exposed to this kind of mosquito or people with immune system disorders. In extreme cases, medical attention should be sought.
MOSQUITO LIFECYCLE
Understanding the mosquitoes life cycle can be integral to figuring out how to control and protect yourself from this insect. These insects go through a complete lifecycle. This means that they will go through four stages. The first stage is the egg. Once the egg is exposed to water, it will hatch and a larva will emerge. This “wriggler” as it’s called will live in water and molt several times. Most mosquitoes in the larva stage still breathe air from the surface.
After it completes this part of its life cycle, it will pupate. At this stage it is also known as a “tumbler”. It doesn’t feed, it simply stays in its cocoon while developing into an adult. Once it hatches, it will come out as a fully winged adult. It will fly around a little bit to dry out and harden its body parts. It’s in the adult stage that it can lay eggs next. Only the females actually bite humans. They require a blood meal to have the protein needed to lay eggs. The males don’t eat any form of blood. The first three life stages all occur in water, while the adult stage is mostly airborne. Contact your Tulsa exterminator for more details.
FINDING HUMANS
Mosquitoes use different methods to hone in on their prey. The most used part of their sensory system though is their ability to detect our body heat. When they detect that they’ll come and try to bite us. Some people give off masking odors that actually prevent mosquitoes from finding them. Scientists are still discovering more about this everyday. But body chemistry and genetics have a lot to do with who gets bit and who doesn’t.
Understanding this kind of thing is very important for scientists. Mosquitoes carry many different diseases. Some of these diseases are malaria, yellow fever, West Nile Virus and dengue fever. These are very dangerous diseases that cause many deaths every year. Figuring out natural ways to protect people from mosquito bites is a full-time job that scientists have undertaken. Insect repellents can also work. Many of them contained DEET or other natural repellents such as eucalyptus oil.
METHODS OF CONTROLLING MOSQUITOES
Finding new ways of controlling mosquitoes is a huge part of what scientists undertake every year in trying to protect the human population. There are a few methods that you can use to protect yourself, your loved ones and your home. The first thing that you can do is wear long clothing. Long sleeve shirts and long pants will protect you from mosquitoes and their bites. You also can use repellents such as DEET and other over the counter mosquito repellents. They’re very effective.
Applying chemical treatments to your yard is also a great way to control the population of mosquitoes. This must be done by a Tulsa Pest Control professional. In most cases, they will use large fogging machines to apply an even coat of chemical to your yard. When mosquitoes land on trees, grasses and bushes, they are put in contact with these chemicals. Removing water from your yard is also a great deterrent. Mosquitoes need water in order to reproduce. So any standing water can be a place for them to do so. If you have a pond or lake that you can’t drain, there are mosquito dunks they can be used. These biscuits can be put in the water and as they melt, they release a microorganism that is a natural predator for mosquito eggs. They’re quite effective at protecting larger bodies of water from mosquito infestations.
WHAT TO DO TO GET RID OF PESKY MOSQUITOES
If you find yourself in a situation where your yard is overrun by mosquitoes, it may be time to call in your Broken Arrow Exterminators. Here at TermMax Pest Control, we are the best in the business when it comes to dealing with all sorts of pests including mosquitoes. We have yard treatments that are tailored fit for whatever needs that you have. We service the greater Tulsa area including Owasso, Turley, Claremore, Catoosa, Coweta, Broken Arrow, Jenks, Bixby, Prattville, Sand Springs, Sapulpa and much more. We’re here to help. Call today for a free estimate!