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.
• 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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