Myths and truth about mosquitoes - from historical facts to the danger of bites

Mosquito season has begun. Now itching and blisters (often very large in children) will become a frequent occurrence. What dangers do these annoying insects pose, which statements about them are true and which are not, the publication found out Billboard Daily.

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Fact No. 1: Mosquitoes Bit More Dinosaurs

Yes it's true. The first mosquitoes appeared on Earth more than 100 million years ago and reached 5 centimeters in length. In 2008, fossil insects with dinosaur blood in their stomachs were found in the Spanish province of Cantabria. Modern individuals are much smaller, but a million mosquitoes are enough to deprive a person of all the blood. True, the mosquito itself will die sooner from toxic shock. In Siberia, in ancient times, there was even such a type of execution: prisoners were tied to a tree and left to be eaten by a midge, and in Persia, criminals were sent to swamp mosquitoes on a boat.

Fact No. 2: Mosquitoes Have a Sting

It is not true. But purely technically, they bite through the skin. The proboscis of a mosquito is a jaw extended into a gutter, behind which are hidden about 50 small teeth and a tongue that conducts saliva into the human circulatory system.

Fact No. 3: Scratching a bite is dangerous.

This fact is ambiguous. Scratching the bite itself is not dangerous. But if you comb before the appearance of an open wound, then you can bring an infection, which threatens to infect the blood. An irresistible desire to comb a mosquito bite causes an anticoagulant - a special substance that lets in an insect so that the blood does not clot.

On the subject: Expert Tips: Effective Mosquito and Tick Protection Methods

Fact No. 4: More Above the Malaria Mosquito

It is not true. The malaria mosquito is about the same as a regular mosquito, but differs from its counterparts with an impressive mustache, dark spots on the wings and hind legs, which are much longer than the front ones, causing the mosquito to sacrifice only with a strong forward inclination of the body. An insect with long legs, from which everyone is afraid of contracting malaria, is a centipede, or a caramora, absolutely not dangerous for humans. It feeds on nectar and plants. There are more than 440 types of anopheles mosquitoes in the world.

Fact No. 5: Mosquitoes cause nervous disorders

Not true. The maximum that threatens you is extreme irritation at the fact that the insect prevents you from falling asleep. A special hatred for mosquitoes occurs in the full moon, when their activity increases by 500%. Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely destroy mosquitoes: they serve as food for birds and rodents, pollinate plants and enrich the soil. But some managed to get rid of annoying insects. For example, in Singapore there are none at all - and there they even fine those who leave water in saucers under flowers, because it attracts mosquitoes.

Fact No. 6: Mosquitoes like blondes

Not quite true. Female mosquitoes need isoleucine to reproduce. This amino acid is more commonly found in the blood of young women, pregnant women, or athletes. An ideal target for mosquitoes is a girl with the blood of the first group. Only one drop is enough for a female to give birth to hundreds of individuals. Only females drink human blood. Males, on the other hand, feed on nectar, because their jaws are not adapted for bites. In total, there are more than 3000 species of mosquitoes in the world, and they live everywhere except Antarctica.

Fact No. 7: Mosquitoes Fear Tomato Seedlings

More likely no than yes. They really don’t like the smell of tomato twigs, but you can avoid bites only if you sleep in a garden with young tomatoes. Smoke, contrary to popular belief, does not frighten mosquitoes either - neither cigarette nor campfire. Burning eucalyptus, orange, cedar, chamomile, anise, mint or geranium oils in an aroma lamp can help get rid of annoying insects. To protect against insects, vanilla oil can be applied to the skin. For some reason, mosquitoes really don’t like its delicate aroma, but for people it’s quite pleasant - unlike the smell of most repellents.

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read it all on ForumDaily New York

Fact No. 8: Mosquitoes mutate

It's true. The city mosquito was isolated as a separate subspecies after the siege of Leningrad, where insects mutated due to specific survival conditions. Mosquitoes adapt very well to almost any conditions, and thanks to global environmental changes, they now multiply faster, are not afraid of cold and pesticides. More and more new types of bloodsuckers appear in the world. So, in 1998, several unique colonies were discovered in the London Underground, and the DNA of each differed depending on the subway branch where mosquitoes lived.

Fact No. 9: Ultrasound Protects Mosquitoes

Absolute lie. This myth is over 40 years old. High-frequency sound of 15 kilohertz does not affect mosquitoes at all - this has been proven by dozens of studies. And new tools do not stop inventing. In 2010, American scientist Nathan Myhrvold, head of Intellectual Ventures Laboratory, presented the “Death Star” mosquito - an automatic gun with a video camera that can destroy blood suckers with an infrared laser in 33 meters. However, to get rid of the night squeak, you can choose a simpler way: for example, turn on the desk lamp so that the mosquitoes fly into its light and let you sleep peacefully.

Fact No. 10: Mosquitoes can be deadly.

It's true. These bloodsuckers travel freely between continents along tourist and trade routes, and with them Zika and chikungunya viruses, malaria and dengue fever travel. The threat concerns not only the inhabitants of Africa and Asia, as is commonly believed: according to the World Health Organization, almost half of the world's population is at risk of contracting malaria alone. To draw attention to this problem, back in 2009 at the TED conference, Bill Gates released a swarm of mosquitoes into the hall with the words “not only the poor should feel it,” and now the development of an antimalarial vaccine is one of the main tasks of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The project is dedicated to the means of combating malaria, as well as other viruses that are carried by mosquitoes. Discovery Channel "Mosquitoes."

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