Posted on 07/29/2019 9:19:05 AM PDT by C19fan
It has been one of the most aggravating sounds on earth for more than 100 million years — the humming buzz of a mosquito.
She gently lands on your ankle and inserts two serrated mandible cutting blades and saws into your skin, while two other retractors open a passage for the proboscis. With this straw she sucks your blood, while a sixth needle pumps in saliva that contains an anticoagulant that prevents that blood from clotting. This shortens her feeding time, lessening the likelihood that you splat her across your ankle.
The female mosquito needs your blood to grow her eggs. Please don’t feel singled out. She bites everyone. There is no truth to the myths that mosquitoes prefer women over men or blondes and redheads over those with darker hair. She does, however, play favorites. Type O blood seems to be the vintage of choice. Stinky feet emit a bacterium that woos famished females, as do perfumes. As a parting gift, she leaves behind an itchy bump (an allergic reaction to her saliva) and potentially something far worse: infection with one of several deadly diseases, including malaria, Zika, West Nile, dengue and yellow fever.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
The Alaskan state bird.
Do mosquito have any positive ecological value?
If there were a legit way to wipe them out permanently, I’d say go.
Of course, no matter what plan anyone concocts, even attacking their genome, there will always be a mutation that leads to a more resistant strain.
Some lie about bird's egg shell's getting thinner... The earliest BIG LIE - before global warming, cooling, peak oil, ozone hole, population bomb, nuclear winter, etc etc etc...
They are food for bats. But I think we’re still at square one with that new statement.
[[Do mosquito have any positive ecological value?]]
Yes, they built everything- remember obama informed us ‘we didn’t build that”- it was mosquitoes that did
My brother and I were near Talkeetna, AK and pulled into the woods to get some food out of the trunk. We stepped out and were immediately attacked by hundreds of mosquitoes. It was amazing.
“Do mosquito have any positive ecological value?”
As a food source for bats.
L
They pollinate some small flowers, which i could probably do without.
Thanks, Rachel Carson!
Nonsense, mosquitos are not even predators, they are parasites. If they kill their host, then they can’t get free meals and have to get a real job.
Oh no...let’s panic...
DDT.... a great invention that was foolishly banned, with deadly consequences for many Third World residents.
We were south of Yellowknife, NWT and had stopped for the night, pulling off into a wayby and shutting down the coach. We let the dogs out and they immediately started to yelp. I jumped out and was hit by a swarm of the little B-—rds. I had to get a wet rag to wipe our dogs muzzles; mosquitoes were a solid Mass.
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson.
Yep. That’s pretty much what we experienced. I wonder what they survive on out there.
caribu
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