Common Mosquito Misconceptions

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Tiny, but powerful mosquitoes can wreak havoc, from spoiling a summertime event to making someone sick.

Here are some facts about this perennial pest from  Mark "Shep" Sheperdigian, vice president of technical services for Rose Pest Solutions.

Facts about mosquitoes that you might not know:

• Different mosquitoes bite at different times
• Mosquitoes have killed more people than people have killed people
• Mosquitoes can transmit diseases and viruses, including encephalitis, West Nile virus, malaria and Equine virus
• Mosquitoes detect humans by body heat and carbon dioxide
• Some people are more attractive to mosquitoes than others
• Mosquitoes breed in standing water that must remain undisturbed for at least four days
• Mosquitoes feed on organisms that grow close to the surface of the water
• Bti (Bacillus thuringienis israelensis) is a bacterial toxin that infects and kills mosquito larvae but is harmless to wildlife. Bti products come in granules and in donut-shaped forms called dunks
• Bug zappers attract more mosquitoes than they kill and kill beneficial insects like moths
• Mosquitoes are not strong fliers. A simple oscillating fan blowing around you can deter mosquitoes from coming near you

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