What do you know about mosquitoes, apart from the fact that they cause itching & red marks when they bite you?
- 1. Only female mosquitoes bite
About 3,000 species of mosquitoes are scattered in every part of the world. Male and female mosquitoes feed on nectar and plant sap, which is their staple diet, while only female mosquitoes need blood to produce eggs.
- 2. Mosquitoes prefer darker colors
They are attracted to dark colors of clothes so if you are trying to avoid mosquitoes, it is better to choose light colored clothes.
- 3. Mosquitoes prefer to bite some people more than others
Mosquitoes are attracted to the body chemistry of some people over others. Chemicals such as carbon dioxide, which is emitted when you exhale, and lactic acid, an element found in sweat, attract mosquitoes.
- 4. Mosquitoes breed in water or on a wet surface
Mosquitoes prefer to lay their eggs in still or standing water or wet ground, and they only need a little water to do so.
Mosquito species
In Greece there are mainly 3 widespread mosquitoes genera:
- COMMON MOSQUITO SPECIES
There are over 3,000 different species of mosquitoes on Earth. The most common ones you are likely to encounter are the mosquito genera Culex, Anopheles and Aedes.
And when it comes to ticks, the most common species is Ixodes Ricinus.
Common mosquitoes (Culex )
They usually bite at night both indoors and outdoors. They prefer birds as hosts, but also bite humans.
They transmit diseases such as: West Nile Virus, Western/Eastern Equine Encephalitis.
Spread: From the tropics to the coldest regions, these mosquitoes are found all over the world, except in very northern latitudes.
Tiger mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus)
Named for their striped appearance, tiger mosquitoes carry a range of diseases. They bite during the day.
They transmit diseases such as: Zika, Chikungunya, Yellow Fever, Dengue.
Spread: they originate from South East Asia and are currently found in tropical, subtropical and temperate regions around the world.
Tropical mosquitoes (Anopheles Mosquitoes): the anopheles (Anopheles spp.)
Known worldwide as the “Malaria Mosquito” because many members of this genus are the main carriers of the disease. They prefer to bite late at night.
They transmit diseases such as: Malaria
Spread: They inhabit large areas of Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, parts of Central and South America, the Caribbean, the Middle East and Oceania. All these areas are places where malaria transmission occurs.
Ticks (Ixodes ricinus)
It is a native hardy species of ticks found in a wide geographical area.
They transmit diseases such as: Tick-borne encephalitis virus and Lyme disease.
Spread: They are found over a wide geographical area, from Portugal to Russia and from North Africa to Scandinavia.
