Mosquito Facts

• Mosquitoes have very specialized mouthparts that includes a saw-like structure to pierce the skin’s surface and a feeding tube to extract the blood.
• Mosquitoes can transmit disease to humans and wildlife such as encephalitis, malaria, and yellow and dengue fever.
• Purple martins and bats are not effective for mosquito control. Purple martins and bats consume larger insects whenever possible. A man who sold purple martin houses started the myth of using purple martins for mosquito control in 1963.
• Mosquito-borne disease outbreaks can greatly reduce tourism and significantly impact the economy.
• Bug zappers kill insects indiscriminately; they don’t just remove the noxious ones. The insects explode on contact, expelling their insides into the air. The exploded airborne particles may contain allergens and pathogens that can be showered on those nearby.
• No evidence exists to show that eating bananas or garlic or taking Vitamin B1 can actually repel biting mosquitoes.
• Mosquitoes locate you through exhaled carbon dioxide, body heat, and odors.
• The average life of a female mosquito is 2 weeks, the male 1 week, but some can survive several months.
• Female mosquitoes can lay up to 250 eggs in each batch. Eggs can hatch up to 7 years after being deposited.
• Mosquitoes are a part of the food web and provide nourishment for larger insects, fish, and birds.
• Mosquitoes play a role in the pollination of plants; both males and females consume nectar for energy.

Additional information is available from:

• Florida Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Entomology and Pest Control, Mosquito Control Section
• University of Florida, Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory
• American Mosquito Control Association
• Florida Mosquito Control Association
• Florida A & M University, Public Health Entomology Research & Education Center

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