Are You A Mosquito Magnet?

Larry A. Law

Most mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, bedbugs, and horseflies require the protein in blood to develop a batch of eggs. Only the female mosquito feeds on blood. Males feed on plant nectar, which they convert to energy for flying. So, feeding on blood is very important for the female mosquito's reproductive cycle. How to feed and not get killed in the process is a mosquito's goal. Watch this video to see the disturbing process from the female mosquito's viewpoint. Ouch! 

A Reason Not to Drink Beer

How do they choose their victim? Mosquitoes use sight, sound, and smell to identify their potential source of blood. The most important chemical cue is the carbon dioxide (CO2) that is released with each breath and through the skin. Mosquitoes can sense carbon dioxide many meters away. Receptor cells  on the mosquito's antennae and legs bind CO2 molecules and send an electrical signal to their brain. Yes—glycoproteins are on mosquitoes too! Natural body odors, increased metabolic rate (moving or exercising), and the consumption of alcohol add to the irresistable urge of a mosquito to bite you. See this 2nd video to learn all of the hidden secrets of the mosquito's hunt for your blood.