How long a mosquito lives after a human bite: the secrets of a bloodsucker

how many mosquitoes live after a human bite
How long does a mosquito live after a human bite

Good day! A cousin came to visit me with her son.

Already on the first evening they felt on themselves what hungry mosquitoes are. There were so many of them that even mosquito nets in the house did not give full protection.

Everyone suffered from their invasion. Before going to bed, they tried to kill the buzzing monsters for about an hour, so as not to interfere with rest.

And the sister’s son was still pestering me with questions about how long a mosquito lives after a man’s bite? Now I will share with you all the information available to me about this.

How many days does an ordinary mosquito live?

Mosquitoes today are distributed almost throughout the entire planet. The only place you cannot meet this insect is Antarctica.

In science, there are more than three thousand species of mosquitoes, about a hundred of them live in our country. Despite the fact that each of us is familiar with this “bloodsucker,” not everyone knows how long an ordinary mosquito lives and what its life cycle is.

Life span

  • Habitats.
  • Air temperature.
  • Insect nutrition.

In this case, the most important factor is precisely the temperature regime of the insect's life. In addition, it was also established that female mosquitoes live almost 2 times longer than males, although scientists have not yet established the reason for this difference.

So, the life span of a mosquito, or rather its female, will be as follows:

  • About 43 days at 25 ° C.
  • 58 days at 20 ° C.
  • 114 days at 15 ° C.
  • 119 days at 10 ° C.

Accordingly, in each of these cases the male’s life will be two times shorter.

Mosquito life cycle

On its life path, an insect goes through several stages of development.

Mosquito life cycle
Mosquito life cycle

A new individual hatches from an egg that was laid by a female in stagnant water. It is in the pond that the first stage of the insect's life will take place - the larva. During this period, the mosquito is very similar to a small worm, which, despite its small size, passes through itself up to a liter of water per day.

Thanks to this, he provides himself with food - collecting the smallest pieces that are in the water. Certain types of such larvae are used by fishermen, making them a bait for fishing - bloodworms.

Important!
The larvae breathe through special airways that are located in the back of the body and exposed to the surface of the water.

As we wrote above, the average life span of a mosquito will depend on its gender, habitat and temperature. So, an adult male mosquito lives on average about 20 days, but a female - at least 40. Often the life of these insects is reduced for the following reasons:

  • Stay at high temperatures.
  • Glut.
  • Cold.
  • Malnutrition.
  • A mosquito eats an insectivore or destroys a person.

How many days does a mosquito live after a bite?

To begin with, it is worth clarifying the fact that only female mosquitoes feed on blood, while males consume nectar. In addition, they need blood not so much to saturate, but in order to breed.

If, after fertilization, the female mosquito is not saturated with blood, this does not mean that she will not be able to lay eggs, but the consequences of this situation will be: firstly, the offspring in this case will be very weak, and the female herself will most likely will die.

If the female hatches the offspring, having previously been saturated with blood, this will not only allow creating a stronger young generation of mosquitoes, but also save her life.

Thus, we can confidently say that the widespread belief that a mosquito bite leads to its death is wrong. A sexually mature female is able to eat about 8 times in a few hours, while feeling quite well.

The answer to the question how long a mosquito lives after a human bite can only be this: after a bite, a mosquito lives from a few seconds (if you killed it during the process of sucking blood) up to several months if no circumstances violated its life cycle.

Another interesting fact is that, despite the fact that high temperature negatively affects the life span of mosquitoes, they are quite thermophilic. Surely, you noticed that getting into the room, mosquitoes often accumulate under the ceiling, where the air is usually warmer.

All about mosquito life

With inconspicuous external data (a small elongated body of gray-yellow color with several pairs of long legs and transparent wings), the mosquito owes its general fame to the long proboscis located on his head, with which he eats.

Advice!
It should be noted that mosquitoes of both sexes usually feed on the juices and nectar of plants. But as soon as the time comes to breed, the female adds the blood of animals or humans to her diet, while the male adheres to the usual diet. A pregnant female chooses her lunch based on the heat released by the victim’s body and carbon dioxide.

Having overtaken her, the mosquito punctures the skin with a proboscis and lets in a special substance that prevents blood from clotting into the victim’s wound. The bite site can be identified by a swollen reddish spot that can itch for several days. Mosquitoes usually live in places where there is enough moisture - in forests, river valleys, on lakes.

But it so happened that it was these places that attract us as a vacation, merging with our mother nature. And here, contrary to our wishes, a very close acquaintance with mosquitoes is inevitable.

And for those who do not need nature or simply can not afford to go there, there is news: recently, scientists have discovered a new type of ordinary mosquito - urban. Such mosquitoes live mainly in flooded basements of houses.

So what is the life span of a mosquito? It depends on such living conditions of insects as habitat, regularity of nutrition and ambient temperature. By average standards, the life span of a female mosquito at a temperature of +25 degrees is one and a half months.

If the temperature drops to +10, the mosquito can live for up to 3 months. If the temperature rises, the survivability of the insect decreases dramatically. It is worth noting that the life expectancy of males is 2 times shorter. Under favorable conditions, on average, each female of an ordinary mosquito can lay 30 to 150 eggs every 2-3 days.

Development from an egg into an adult mosquito occurs within a week. In just a week, the egg turns into an adult individual, which, having joined its many brothers, hurries to live a full life, and, having met with us, makes us remember about ourselves with the traces left on our body.

How long does a person live after a bite?

It is widely believed that mosquitoes die immediately after the bite of their victim, however, this statement is erroneous (unless you take into account the fact of death from our hand that slammed the torturer at the crime scene).

A sexually mature female can feed on blood about 8 times in a few hours, while remaining in a joyful mood. It turns out that the presence of a constant power source, on the contrary, prolongs the female’s life and enables her to reproduce full-fledged offspring, ready to “please” us with their bites for at least 3 months.

How much can live without blood

As we found out, a male mosquito doesn’t need you and me as a means of food, so the absence of this delicacy will not affect its life expectancy. But does a female mosquito have a chance for a long happy life if she is prescribed a bloodless diet?

Attention!
Scientists who have studied this issue negatively wave their heads: if, after fertilization, the mosquito didn’t drink blood, the offspring will be born weak, and she herself will most likely die.

But if the female hatches the offspring, having previously been saturated with blood, this is the key to the reproduction of a strong generation, and also saves the life of the female herself. It turns out that the female mosquito, together with her offspring without blood, can live only a few days.

How long can mosquitoes live in an apartment?

When winged "friends" find themselves in an apartment, many do not attach much importance to this, being sure that mosquitoes will not last longer than two days. However, this is not at all true, because most likely female individuals have come to visit you for a cup of blood.

At a temperature of 25 degrees, the female will live happily next to you for about 43 days. If the temperature decreases, the life expectancy of the blood-sucking guest increases and can reach up to 120 days.

Moreover, if the female considers you a hospitable host (that is, you do not allow yourself the audacity to attempt her life), your apartment may well serve as a maternity hospital for young offspring of an uninvited guest. She will lay her eggs in a dark, damp place - a bathtub, a toilet, a corridor or a storage room, and soon an addition will await you.

Therefore, do not neglect insect repellents, if your apartment was easily accessible for mosquitoes.

Mosquito life cycle

It is hard to imagine an insect as annoying and annoying as a mosquito. The squeak of these bloodsuckers is heard everywhere. And most importantly, their bites are not only painful and make them itch for a long time, but they can also transmit some kind of infection.

Mosquitoes can carry not only the well-known malaria, but also many other diseases. In addition, a person may develop an individual allergic reaction.

Important!
Their life begins with hatching from an egg laid by a female in some stagnant water. In this reservoir, and passes the first stage of the life cycle. Being a larva (very similar to a small worm), a future mosquito passes through itself up to a liter of water per day.

This allows him to collect a variety of tiny pieces of food. Some of the species of such larvae are known to a wide range of fishermen who use them as bait (bloodworms). They breathe through the airways located in the back, exposing it to the surface of the water.

The next stage of development is the transformation of the larva into a pupa and the hatching of an adult capable of flying already from it. Actually, these little "vampires" appear. The life span of a mosquito depends on the temperature, its gender and the abundance of food.

It can vary from two weeks to several months. Females, as is usually the case in nature, live longer than males (the life of the latter on average is about 20 days). The most favorable temperature for their life starts from +14 degrees.

Life is next to man

All over the world you can count up to 3 thousand species of mosquitoes. About 100 of them live in our country. It is worth noting that not all varieties bite.

And only females hunt for human blood, while males prefer nectar of flowers, plant leaves and can even taste bread. Women need blood in order to lay and lay eggs.

Unpleasant, so annoying everyone squeak mosquitoes produce due to the rapid flapping of their wings: they make up to 600 flies in just one second. The resulting sound males attract females for mating. The visible swarm of insects, as a rule, consists of harmless males. The life of bloodsuckers is closely connected with humans, although they can also bite animals and fish.

Often, chasing a folded newspaper for some of the most annoying mosquito, you can see that these two-winged ones prefer to sit on the ceiling. This is due to the fact that the warmest air in the room accumulates there, and the insects feel most comfortable in it.

Mosquito bite and how to protect yourself from it

Contrary to the prevailing prevailing opinion, after a bite, the bloodsucker does not die and is quite capable of attacking more than a dozen times. How many mosquitoes live after a bite is of concern not only to the bitten themselves, who are awaiting their death with vengeance.

Advice!
This is important in order to know how to reduce the population of these dipterans in a particular area. Female needs blood for reproduction of offspring. She bites only during the mating season. On other days, like males, it feeds on nectar.

Having drunk blood, she lays eggs in a reservoir with stagnant water. Accordingly, the drainage of such ponds and marshes in areas with a warm and humid climate can quite significantly reduce the population.

In addition, for an individual war with mosquitoes, you can use as many products offered by modern industry, as well as ancient methods. Various repellents, chemicals, repellers, etc. - All of them are able to cope with bloodsuckers.

But you can apply folk recipes based on knowledge of nature. So, insects do not tolerate the smell of certain plants (bird cherry, elderberry, geranium, etc.). Their presence in the house can scare away the bloodsuckers without any modern innovations.

Life expectancy of mosquitoes in various conditions

The mosquito’s life does not last long, and its standard duration is often shortened due to many factors. However, this does not prevent flocks of mosquitoes from bothering people and animals with the entire warm period of the year, and sometimes reminding themselves in winter.

So how much time on existence is measured by nature by this seemingly indestructible and ubiquitous insect? And what determines the duration of their life?

The photo shows the life cycle of an insect
The photo shows the life cycle of an insect

Mosquitoes have existed on our planet for several tens of millions of years. They perfectly adapted to life in various regions of the globe, and today there are about 3,000 species of these insects. About 100 of them live in Russia.

The life span of a mosquito depends on:

  • species affiliation;
  • the sex of the insect;
  • food availability;
  • ambient temperature and humidity;
  • the availability of shelters and a suitable environment for development during the larval stage;
  • the number of animals eating mosquitoes in a particular region;
  • the possibility of hibernation;
  • luck and resourcefulness of a particular individual.

Most of all people and warm-blooded animals are annoyed by squeak mosquitoes, the specific name is the common mosquito. Piskuns are distributed almost everywhere, their population is huge. To understand how many mosquitoes live, we will dwell on each of the items in more detail and consider them with an example of this species.

Life span of an ordinary mosquito

Female “mosquitoes” of mosquitoes live about twice as long as males, although the way of life of males is associated with much lower risks to life. In this type of insect, males feed exclusively on plant nectar, while females need blood during the breeding season, and they constantly risk being killed during biting, because for a victim their bite does not go unnoticed.

Many females die just during the meal, but with a favorable set of circumstances, they are able to live up to 4 months (without taking into account the stage of larval development and possible winter hibernation) and give numerous offspring.

For an extremely long life, in addition to the availability of food, humidity and a certain temperature regime are also required.

So, the female will live maximum:

  • 43 days at t + 25 ° C;
  • 58 days at t + 20 ° C;
  • 114-119 days at t +10 .. + 15 ° C.

The life of a male mosquito at the same temperatures, respectively, will be two times shorter than the indicated dates, but most often it does not exceed 20 days at all. While the life of a female in total can last 1 year.

At temperatures below + 10 ° C, mosquitoes become inactive, and at 0 ° C they become numb. And the onset of heat and drought dramatically reduce the population of these insects.

Attention!
Mosquitoes live mainly in shady, humid forests, near marshes and any water bodies, especially standing and low-flowing, which they need to breed.

The number and activity of insectivorous birds and carnivorous insects that feed on them also affect how many days a mosquito lives. In nature, mosquitoes try to hide in dense vegetation, because in open areas they have nowhere to hide from their pursuers.

How long does a female live without blood and after a bite

The claim that mosquitoes die almost immediately after being bitten is fundamentally contrary to the truth. The better the female mosquito eats, the longer it lives. She needs blood not only to maintain strength, but also to form strong offspring.

A blood-saturated female will lay many eggs, from which new tenacious insects will be born.

Without blood, the female’s life is reduced several times. If, after fertilization, the female could not bite anyone, she will still lay eggs, but weak offspring will develop from them, most of which will simply die. The female herself after this, most likely, will also die, because her body will give the last forces to the offspring.

The cycle and duration of larval development

The female is able to bite every few hours. The eggs in her abdomen form as a portion of the drunk blood is digested. Every 2-3 days the mosquito lays eggs in the water of a suitable reservoir (including puddles), on plants or in moist soil.

At one time, the mosquito lays 20-300 eggs, of which approximately 2-8 days later, larvae develop. The larva pupates after 20 days, and after a few days later an adult mosquito leaves the pupa.

How mosquitoes winter

Usually the mosquito's life cycle begins and ends in nature. Adult insects and their larvae that have not undergone a full development cycle can numb with the onset of the first frost and until a steady spring thaw. They spend the winter in cracks of the bark or under a layer of foliage, in vegetable stores, outbuildings.

Important!
In tropical forests, mosquitoes live and breed year round.

In an apartment, the mosquito feels quite well, especially if there are secluded, moist corners where he can comfortably and safely wait for the right moment to attack the household.

But if the female managed to get into the person’s house, then after a bite she, as a rule, soon tries to get out into the street and find a moist reservoir for laying off the larvae.

However, the female can lay the larvae right in the house or next to it, for example, in a barrel where water is maintained for irrigation of beds, in a drinking bowl for livestock or in a damp basement.In the warm and humid basements of residential buildings, the population of these blood-sucking insects can be renewed and exist year-round.

Why do mosquitoes drink blood

Before you find out how long a mosquito lives, let's decide why he drinks blood at all. The fact is that only females differ in bloodthirstiness in a mosquito family. In some species - only during the breeding season. While loving males feed exclusively on floral nectar.

Females do not only absorb human blood. They feed on the blood of animals, reptiles and birds. Sometimes even fish become victims of the insatiable appetite of insects.

For a mosquito, blood is not only a source of nutrients and energy. This is a storehouse of protein - the building material for eggs. There is a misconception that a mosquito, after drinking blood, dies. In fact, just a hungry female, laying her eggs, spends all the resources of the body and “stretches her legs”.

Meanwhile, a well-fed mosquito leaves 20-300 eggs every two to three days in ponds or in moist soil, after which he again goes off in search of food.

How do they find a victim

Even in a dense forest do not hide from mosquitoes. Insects flock to a feast from all around. What can we say about our "stone jungle" - a real food haven for bloodsuckers.

Advice!
The mosquito offspring acquires such sensitivity due to its antennae, a specific organ of smell. Antenna antennae have 72 receptors capable of smelling the smell of sweat of a mammal per kilometer.

And being a few hundred meters away, mosquitoes will rush even to the smell of breath. In addition, they see in the infrared spectrum. Therefore, it is impossible to hide from bloodsuckers even at night under a blanket.

What is dangerous mosquito bite

To get drunk on your bloodline, a mosquito sits on your skin and cuts through its sawtooth jaws. Then he lowers the proboscis and injects an anticoagulant (an enzyme that slows down blood clotting) and an anesthetic. It is the saliva of the mosquito that causes irritation and swelling at the site of the bite.

Some people are allergic to anticoagulant components. For them, multiple mosquito bites are deadly. They lead to intoxication, and sometimes to anaphylactic shock.

For example, in ancient times, resourceful Chinese used mosquitoes as a murder weapon. The victim was tied naked in a swampy area. Hordes of hungry insects flocked for dinner. As a result, the offender was dying of anaphylactic shock or bleeding.

In addition, mosquitoes are notable distributors of infection. They carry parasites on their proboscis. Parasites penetrate the circulatory system and cause yellow and tropical fever, hepatitis and encephalitis.

As you can see, jokes are bad with little bloodsuckers. Therefore, be protected from bites by all available means. Mosquitoes are repelled not only by special chemicals, but also by the smell of some plants. For example, peppermint, geranium or eucalyptus.

Insect Life

As you read the article, does the mosquito's lifespan concern you more? Unfortunately, you have to grieve. The age of these insects is not as short as we would like.

The following factors influence how many days a mosquito lives:

  1. habitat;
  2. ambient temperature
  3. regularity of nutrition.

In this case, the main condition for survival is air temperature.

  • At t 25 ° C, female mosquitoes will live up to 43 days.
  • At t 20 ° C - up to 58.
  • At t 15 ° C - up to 114.
  • At t 10 ° C - up to 119.

At the same time, mosquito males have a half life span. That is, if the toad did not eat the female mosquito, or you didn’t slam it yourself, and even the summer turned out to be cool - it will annoy you for at least two months.

Attention!
In addition, a female mosquito with good nutrition will lay dozens or even hundreds of eggs every three days, which very soon will turn into adults. That is why crowds of mosquitoes haunt us for the entire period of their activity - from May to October.

Disappointing prospects.What will help us avoid mosquito terror? Let's think about why mosquitoes die:

  • From high temperature.
  • From oversaturation.
  • By cold.
  • From hunger.
  • From old age.
  • They are eaten by insectivores.

How to use these circumstances to your advantage is up to you. Despite the fact that at too high air temperatures mosquitoes die, they are heat-loving insects. Therefore, they love to sit on the ceiling. It’s warmer there. And to get a sneaker is not so simple.

By and large, the low temperature for mosquitoes is not so scary. These insects have an amazing adaptability: in winter they fall into suspended animation and wake up only under favorable conditions. And their eggs during this period survive even under the snow.

How many days does a mosquito live after a human bite?

The duration of mosquito specimens is different: the female lives on average 42-56 days, but the male - much less, his life span is only 10 days. Of course, these figures relate to the life of mosquitoes in vivo.

Life expectancy of a mosquito in an apartment or other unnatural conditions is much lower.

In general, it is impossible to give an exact answer to this question, because mosquitoes have no relationship between bites and longevity. A mosquito bites a person in order to get enough, after drinking blood, to reproduce offspring and continue its life cycle.

After a bite, a mosquito continues to live exactly as long as it is allocated to nature. Unless, of course, we are talking about the case when a person manages to react and kill an insect immediately after a bite or even during.

How many mosquitoes live in the apartment? It all depends on how quickly the tenants react to get rid of the “uninvited guests”.

For example, if special means are used to kill mosquitoes, then they will not have more than a few hours to live. If you catch mosquitoes separately on their own, then the fight against insects can drag on for several days. Everything will depend on their quantity and your desire to say goodbye to them as soon as possible!

To protect yourself and your home from mosquitoes, there are many ways. Consider the 3 most extensive areas:

  1. Folk methods.
  2. Repellents.
  3. Insecticides.
  4. Ultrasonic traps.

Folk methods include the use of various plants, herbs and infusions, which will scare away insects. They are not very effective, but, nevertheless, you should not completely abandon them. Folk remedies can be combined, for example, with repellents.

Important!
Repellents are specialized remedies aimed at protecting against mosquitoes. They scare away, but do not destroy insects. There are repellents for both humans and animals. Depending on the age and sensitivity of the skin, you can choose different types of repellents: for children, for people with sensitive skin, for allergy sufferers, etc.

Insecticides, unlike repellents, not only scare away, but also destroy mosquitoes. Insecticides have many contraindications. As a rule, they can not be used indoors.

Apply them only on clothes in an open space. Another thing, if we are talking about the insecticides "Raptor" and analogues. They are safe for humans, however, are contraindicated for use if there are animals or aquarium fish in the house.

Ultrasonic traps are mechanical devices. After connecting them to the network, they begin to emit ultrasonic waves, thereby repelling mosquitoes.

So, we found out that the common mosquito lives on average 42-56 days (female) and 10 days (male). A mosquito, drunk with blood, continues its life cycle, and does not die, as some believe.

Mosquitoes live less in an apartment or any other unnatural living environment. There are various ways to deal with them: folk methods, repellents, insecticides and ultrasonic traps.

Life span of mosquitoes

In the summertime, annoying mosquitoes begin to disturb citizens and, especially, summer residents. In the rainy season, there is simply no escape from them. People are interested in how long a mosquito lives after a human bite, and whether the reproduction of insects can be somehow prevented.

Due to the fact that a species of malaria mosquitoes is distinguished, the bite of which can result in death, many studies have been conducted to study their populations. Here is what the scientists managed to establish:

  • Life expectancy of male mosquitoes is double that of females.
  • The possibility of a long existence is influenced by climatic conditions - humidity level, temperature.

Mosquitoes are active year round in countries with warm weather. In winter, they sleep, and you can find them in the crevices of houses, sheds and other wooden buildings. During the experiments, the life span of mosquitoes was recorded:

  • at a temperature of + 20 to + 25 C it amounted to 57 days;
  • when the thermometer graph is lowered to + 10 - + 14 C, an individual can exist for up to 119 days;
  • in heat of + 25 ° C, adult males have difficulty surviving up to 20 days.

The life span is also affected by nutrition. With constant blood supply, the female can carry offspring for a maximum of 43 days. She lays eggs every 3 days in an amount of up to 150 pieces at a time.

If food is not provided, then the female will be able to provide a laying of only 10 eggs. After this, her strength will be exhausted, and she will soon perish. If food is provided with blood, then the individual will be able to endure healthy offspring and extend its life.

Amazing facts

It is noteworthy that about 3,000 species of mosquitoes live on the planet. Their population is distributed in almost all countries, with the exception of Antarctica, as permafrost. About a hundred of them are characteristic for different regions of Russia.

Advice!
How long a mosquito lives after a human bite can only be said on average. In laboratory conditions, insects can survive for a long time due to the provision of optimal temperature and nutrition.

In the natural environment, their existence is associated with the risks of being eaten, for example, by a frog, or being killed by a person immediately after a bite. In this regard, an exact answer to the question of how long a female mosquito lives after a human bite does not exist.

How long does a bloodsucker live?

Sometimes it even seems that mosquitoes live forever and never disappear. I wonder how long a mosquito actually lives?

First of all, the life span of a mosquito depends on its variety, the temperature of the environment and gender. The female, if conditions permit, can live from a week to a month, which is a very long time by the standards of insect life.

But the male rarely lives more than three weeks and comes out so that in one warm season more than one generation can be born. For the winter, in a kind of hibernation, the female usually leaves already pregnant. But as soon as the heat comes, she will immediately make masonry.

Here the mosquito mother is no different from the mothers of the other species: she takes care of her children and her main goal is to continue her appearance. She will surely lay her eggs in the nearest water, even if there is just a can of rainwater.

As a rule, after successful intercourse, the female is no longer interested in the female. Some individuals, like spiders, simply eat the "husband" after the wedding night.

By the way, only females bite in nature: male mosquitoes are absolutely harmless and only emit characteristic squeaks to attract potential "wives." Their favorite food is nectars of various colors. Surprisingly, even by squeaking, you can easily determine the gender: the female makes more piercing sounds.

Important!
At the same time, she stops squeaking only if she gets what she wants: blood or a male. But you need to understand: a female bite can be fatal. First of all, it is impossible to find out whom she has already bitten before you and whether that person was healthy.

Contrary to dogma, the mosquito is not saturated with one bite: she needs at least 5-8 times to get enough and produce large offspring. Its poison, even in its pure form, is already detrimental to the body. We do not take bites seriously, thinking that it will scratch and pass. Meanwhile, there is a chance to get a serious reaction of the body, up to fainting and coma.

I wonder if mosquito females can live without blood, and how long mosquitoes live after a bite, or maybe they can do without painful bites? British scientists answered unequivocally: no, because in the absence of blood as a source of nutrition, the mosquito tribe will simply die out.

And this despite the amazing adaptability of this insect to life. From the very “infancy” the little mosquito is able to survive by sticking out its small proboscis above the water for breathing.

Meanwhile, his larva, like a powerful filter, lets water through and absorbs useful enzymes at a tremendous speed, which allows it to grow stronger and become pupae. In one clutch there may be several hundred future insects, of course, provided that the temperature is warm and the transition to the pupal stage is successful.

If the mosquito mother ate plentifully, the offspring has every chance of survival. That is why mosquito females dominate and are particularly aggressive.

But mosquitoes have grown and think they rushed to bite all people and animals? Do not guess. These insects are extraordinary: they can choose victims by the smell that everyone inaudibly emits. According to scientists, it turned out that mosquitoes respond to a special enzyme secreted by excessive sweating.

Moreover, not everyone has this enzyme, therefore it turns out that mosquitoes do not touch anyone at all, but almost “bite” someone. For example, if a person drank, then this is a frank invitation for mosquito clouds.

Advice!
They like mosquitoes and those who consume a lot of drugs, but they will not touch a person who prefers traditional medicine. It is assumed that infusions of herbs cannot affect the composition of our blood, but synthesized and chemical preparations seriously change the structure of the blood, provoking the production of the very enzyme that attracts a biting tribe.

So that mosquitoes and mosquitoes do not distract you from the peaceful contemplation of the surface of the water or do not disturb your peace at night, use special means from bites and try not to send them invitations to dinner.

Biological mosquito program

The biological program of any animal is a continuation of the genus. Actually, their life is as long as necessary for effective reproduction. Mosquitoes are no exception. However, the life span of a mosquito depends on many factors, and especially on gender and habitat (and they live everywhere except in Antarctica).

Temperature

Everyone knows that mosquitoes are active in the warm season and cannot exist at subzero temperatures (they become numb at 0 ° C). However, in a cool environment (10 C), these insects live twice as long as at 25 C. The heat and dry climate are harmful to insects whose development cycle is associated with water.

Gender

Males and females in mosquitoes are very different both in appearance and in type of food. Only females drink blood, they also differ in longevity - they live up to 119 days in coolness, in a hot climate - 40-43 days. They can hibernate with the arrival of cold weather, waiting for spring.

It is the female bloodsuckers that are interesting from a practical point of view, and often people wonder how long a mosquito lives after a human bite. Is it worth it to chase an bloated bloodsucker around the apartment, or will he die? Contrary to popular belief, a female mosquito does not die after being bitten.

Moreover, in a few hours, she can eat repeatedly. Because of this feature, mosquitoes are carriers of dangerous diseases. Therefore, if during the bite the mosquito did not suffer from her breadwinner, she lays her eggs and continues to live.

A male mosquito rarely intersects with a person, eats nectar of flowers and lives depending on conditions for 19-50 days.

Food availability

A female mosquito lays eggs every three days. If the fertilized individual does not have the ability to eat (drink blood), then the offspring turns out to be unviable, and the female herself also dies from exhaustion.

In the question of how long a mosquito lives, the lifespan of adult insects and adults is taken into account. Although from the moment the female lays her eggs in stagnant water, about a month will pass until the adult stage. First, a larva, a tiny worm, hatches from an egg. This happens after a few days.

Attention!
Then several weeks pass, depending on the temperature, and the larva turns into a chrysalis. On average, the larval stage takes 3 weeks. From pupae adults, adult insects are obtained.

These figures were recorded by scientists in a laboratory, because it is not possible to track the lifespan of “wild” mosquitoes. In nature, insect life ends in the stomach of numerous enemies.

Dragonflies, crustaceans, fish, frogs and newts and even waterfowl eat the larvae. Adults are destroyed by birds, frogs, dragonflies and even predatory plants.

It turns out that if no one eats a mosquito, for example, in a city apartment, he will live 1-4 months. And even one individual can cause trouble by eating again and again. Although the life span of a winged bloodsucker is short, these pesky insects will never transfer!

Mosquito lifestyle: how long a mosquito lives, where it lives, what is dangerous

The name "mosquitoes" unites a whole group of insects, a common feature of which is the ability to feed on the blood of animals and humans. On the territory of Russia there are more than one hundred species of these insects that live in various regions.

Sometimes they not only cause troubles to people and pets, but also become carriers of various diseases.

How many lives

The annoying squeak of small pests spoils the pleasure of the long-awaited summer. The situation becomes especially unbearable in rural areas or just near forests. It becomes interesting: how long does the parasite live?

The exact answer does not exist, because the life span of the pest depends on a number of factors.

  • Sex of the insect. First of all, it is worth learning a simple fact: males live exactly two times less than females.
  • Temperature. It is worth talking more about this, because this information can help in confronting the squeaky enemy. So, the higher the air temperature, the less the insect will live. At t at about 20 °, the female will live about 42 days, and when reduced to 10 °, the life span will increase to 115 days. In the case of a male, divide the number by two.
  • Food. The parasite is terrible both hunger and glut. It is a myth that a mosquito dies immediately after a human bite. One mosquito can bite a person up to 8 times in a couple of hours. By the way, only females eat blood, males - exclusively nectars.

Lifestyle

In many species of mosquitoes, the nutrition of males and females varies significantly. Males, like many other insects, feed on flower nectar and plant juices. Females can also use these substances for food, but their oral apparatus is arranged somewhat differently.

As a result of this, they are able to pierce the skin of animals, feeding on blood from capillaries adjacent to its surface.

In some species, female mosquitoes use the parasitic method of feeding not constantly, but only during the breeding season. The nutrients they receive from the blood of the host animals may be necessary for them to produce eggs.

Therefore, the activity of mosquitoes as blood-sucking insects significantly depends on the time of year, weather and the life cycle features of a particular species of these insects.

The period of the highest mosquito activity falls on the period from May to October, if we talk about the zone of temperate climate.In different regions, the peak of mosquito activity can occur in different months, depending on climatic conditions.

Habitat

In the wild, mosquitoes are most often found near swamps or bodies of water with standing water, which are their breeding sites. Mosquitoes can lay eggs in moist soil, directly in water bodies or in places that periodically floods with water.

Therefore, it is near water bodies or in areas with high humidity that mosquitoes can cause travelers traveling through the forest the most troubles.

Important!
In cities, mosquitoes also use for breeding places that are characterized by high humidity. This is primarily cellars and sewers. In those houses where basements are flooded or partially flooded, mosquitoes can cause concern not only to residents of lower floors, but to the whole house.

If the building has warm and damp places, it is highly likely that mosquitoes will soon fly out of them throughout the house.

Only residents of regions with very cold climates are insured against such problems. In them, as a rule, favorable conditions for mosquitoes in the basements do not arise. If buildings are raised above the surface of the earth on stilts, it also reduces the likelihood of an environment conducive to the spread of harmful insects.

In the village, blood-sucking mosquitoes often accumulate in rooms where animals are kept. They prefer places where a little light penetrates. In the city, they often appear on the walls and windows of rooms, especially in the dark.

Mosquito bite

To find a potential victim, a female mosquito uses several methods of orientation at once. It recognizes the heat emanating from a person, the carbon dioxide exhaled by him, and the smell of sweat.

This allows the insect to navigate with great accuracy even in the dark. In addition, it is believed that a mosquito, crushed during a bite, also releases substances that attract other insects of its species.

Redness that occurs at the site of the bite does not occur due to skin damage, but because of the substances contained in the saliva of the mosquito. It includes components that prevent blood coagulation, and often various pathogens.

From a scientific point of view, it is not entirely true to say that mosquitoes suck blood: they do not have organs that allow them to make sucking movements. After the proboscis of the mosquito pierces the skin, blood begins to flow into it under the influence of its own pressure present in the vessels.

If you do not use any medications, itching and redness of the skin can occur for more than a day. In addition, in some cases, the substances contained in mosquito saliva cause severe allergic reactions that require medical attention.

Than dangerous

Many people perceive mosquitoes as annoying insects that bother and interfere with sleep or rest, but do not pose a serious danger. But in fact, mosquitoes are often carriers of infectious diseases, some of these diseases are deadly.

Advice!
The microorganisms that cause the disease can be found in the saliva of a mosquito, which enters the human blood at the site of the bite. It can be viruses or microscopic parasitic organisms.

According to official statistics, more than a million people die from diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, including mosquitoes.

It is important to understand that this problem affects not only the regions that are primarily associated with diseases such as malaria or dengue fever - Africa and South America, but also other continents. Cases of mosquito transmission of various infections are noted in Russia.

Since the proboscis of the mosquito is in direct contact with blood, this insect can theoretically be a carrier of the human immunodeficiency virus. However, modern epidemiology estimates this possibility as extremely unlikely.

Methods of struggle

In order to avoid the spread of diseases, to make tourist vacations more comfortable or to prevent damage caused by mosquitoes to pets, the fight against these insects should be carried out simultaneously in several directions.

First of all, it is necessary to eliminate places that are favorable for the reproduction of mosquitoes. In urban conditions, it is necessary to clean the basements, in nature - regular monitoring of the cleanliness of water bodies, improving the condition of their shores, and also, if possible, draining the swamps. Biological methods are also used, such as breeding fish that feed on mosquito larvae in water bodies.

In everyday life, the main way to fight mosquitoes is to eliminate them or scare them away. For this, both folk and modern means are used. Mosquitoes are not known to tolerate the smell of certain plants and chemicals, which is what people use.

To protect against mosquitoes, mosquito nets, canopies and other structures are used to prevent mosquitoes from entering the room. Sometimes they try to influence harmful insects with the help of high-tech means - mosquito lamps and ultrasonic repellers.

As a rule, in order to completely eliminate mosquitoes in a building or on a site, complex measures are required, involving the use of various approaches.

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