Little summer enemies: mosquitoes 2016/06/16

Culex Pipiens… can I tell you something?

It is the scientific name for mosquitoes, that light insect and enemy of our days and nights in the summer.

There are over 3000 mosquitoes… yes! THREE THOUSAND species in the whole world. They have wings covered in scales which flutter causes that annoying buzzing sound capable of waking us up during the night!

They feed on nectar and sugary substances that are found in nature, but the females are equipped with a thin probe to pinch other animals and feed with 2-3 milligrams of blood (a measurement same as their weight) and carry eggs to maturity and deposit them in any receptacle that contains water.

When they bite they inject their saliva which causes itchiness and in some cases it may cause an allergic reaction which requires medical attention.

But why are some people more “appetizing” to mosquitoes than others? This depends on the mixture of the body odor and carbon dioxide that we emit when breathing.

In the market there exist many anti-mosquito products that are more or less effective: sprays to vaporize on the skin, lotions, patches, bracelets, candles, torches, insecticide lamps, mosquito nets, ultrasound systems… For babies you can by elastic mosquito nets which adapt to cribs and strollers at moderated prices. Repellents also exist that can be used for the little ones: ask for advice in the pharmacy or with your pediatrician.

You can also recur to more natural methods to defend yourself, for example surrounding yourself with lavender plants, lemon grass (Cymbopogon) or geraniums on balconies and gardens. Dress yourself with light colors, mosquitoes seem more attracted to the black color, blue and red and limit your red meat consumption since it’s of demanding digestion and it makes the body temperature rise, which makes it for more odor to be emitted.

Last, but not least…adopt a bat!

A bat can feed on around 2000 mosquitoes in the night. Bats don’t make nests, but they take advantage of natural cavities of trees, attics or they find accommodation in a bat box that surely, you are already thinking about buying! Ask in a hardware store or build one, simply write “DIY bat box” in a searching page!

And pay attention to stagnant water: regular mosquito lays her eggs directly on top of stagnant water, so let’s check possible water deposits around the house.

Having said this, I wish you a quite summer and over all free of mosquitoes!