Common Types & Species of Mosquitoes Infestation

Common Types & Species of Mosquitoes Infestation

Ever heard the buzzing sound during night or daytime? Or ever felt the flickering pain of getting bitten while you are playing or enjoying outdoors? We all experience this mild sensation every day. Though we all know them as mosquitoes, they too belong from different species and exhibit distinctive characteristics. Knowing different kinds of mosquitoes can always help us in finding the right cure or can alarm us so that we can keep distance.
More than 3,000 species of mosquitoes inhabit the Earth, with about 176 of these species are found in homes. The most common mosquitoes worldwide are those of the Aedes, Culex, and Anopheles genera. Each has its own unique characteristic, and each has the potential to transmit various diseases. Jopestkil Kenya Common Mosquitoes Types Species Infestation, Mosquito Types and Species.

The Most Common Mosquito Types and Species Include: 

Yellow Fever Mosquito

While the Aedes aegypti is commonly known as the yellow fever mosquito, this blood-hungry pest may also transmit dengue, chikungunya virus, and Zika.2 The Aedes aegyptimostly bites during the daytime and typically lives in urban areas in tropical and subtropical regions. This mosquito species prefers to bite humans and is commonly found indoors.

Aedes

Found in tropical areas, these mosquitoes are known to be the most notorious when it comes to spreading diseases. Aedes mosquito bite can cause Yellow Fever, Dengue, West Nile, and Chikungunya and has added Zika to its list recently. They are usually found in floodwater pools, wetlands, and inside natural or artificial containers. Though these mosquito species can be found outside in abundance, they can readily enter homes at any time of the day. To protect ourselves from mosquito bites you should always carry mosquito repellent roll on or mosquito repellent lotion. If you can detect the symptoms at its early stage then you can try some chikungunya home remedies. Jopestkil Kenya Common Mosquitoes Types Species Infestation, Mosquito Types and Species.

Asian Tiger Mosquito

The Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) is known to spread dengue, chikungunya, and dirofilariasis.3 The species originated in Asia, but this world-traveling insect is now also found in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and islands in the Pacific and Indian oceans. Unlike the yellow fever mosquito, the Asian tiger mosquito can survive in colder climates.

Anopheles Mosquito

They are popularly known as the marsh mosquitoes and this genus consist of about 460 different mosquito species. They are the primary vector of malaria. Adult mosquito of this genus is always ready to feed on humans. Anopheles mosquito is responsible for death of millions of people globally. Also, malaria has been the number two cause for maximum number of deaths in the world. Jopestkil Kenya Common Mosquitoes Types Species Infestation, Mosquito Types and Species.

Anopheles mosquitoes lays eggs with built-in floatation devices. Like all mosquitoes, Anopheles eggs develop in the water, but the eggs of this genera are uniquely equipped with floats on either side. Females generally lay 50-200 eggs at a time that take about two to three days to hatch. 

Culex

Culex Pipiens mosquitoes are most active after sunset but they are also found to be the daytime biters. Species of this genus can be found breeding in freshwater resources as pools, ponds and even in sewage treatment plants. They are responsible for the spread of West Nile Virus and St. Louis Encephalitis.

Southern House Mosquito

The southern house mosquito goes by the scientific nameCulex quinquefasciatus.The species feasts on birds, people, and other mammals. Southern house mosquitoes make their home in tropical and subtropical regions of the world and are known to transmit West Nile virus.

Pitcher Plant Mosquito

Mosquito moms look for a watery environment for their eggs to develop in. The pitcher plant mosquito (Wyeomyia smithii) seeks out certain small pools for their eggs, like the ones found inside leaves of the carnivorous purple pitcher plant. Adult mosquitoes lay their eggs and fly away to safety, but other insects aren’t so lucky. Ants, moths, and flies that fall into the pitchers can drown and end up as food for developing mosquito larvae. Once the bugs are digested, the larvae excrete the essential nutrients the bugs provide in their feces. The pitcher plant then absorbs the nutrients.

The pitcher plant mosquito is unique because it is the only species that has some female mosquitoes that bite and others that don’t. Researchers are studying these mosquitoes to see if there is a way to turn off the biting gene in other species, which could help eliminate mosquito-borne diseases worldwide.

Anopheles Stephensi

Anopheles stephensi is a primary mosquito vector of malaria in urban worlds and is included in the same subgenus as Anopheles gambiae, the primary malaria vector in Africa. A. gambiae consists of a complex of morphologically identical species of mosquitoes, along with all other major malaria vectors; however, A. stephensi has not yet been included in any of these complexes. Nevertheless, two races of A. stephensi exist based on differences in egg dimensions and the number of ridges on the eggs; A. s. stephensi sensu stricto, the type form, is a competent malaria vector that is found in urban areas, and A. s. mysorensis, the variety form, exists in rural areas and exhibits considerable zoophilic behavior, making it a poor malaria vector. However, A. s. mysorensis is a detrimental vector. An intermediate form also exists in rural communities and peri-urban areas, though its vector status is unknown. Jopestkil Kenya Common Mosquitoes Types Species Infestation, Mosquito Types and Species.

Facts and Characteristics About Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes can actually be quite dangerous and can transmit fatal disease in your body with just a small bite. There are numerous diseases transmitted by mosquitoes. Some of the mosquito borne diseases are Malaria, Dengue and Chikungunya.

Interesting Facts That You Should Know About Mosquitoes

Only female mosquitoes bite: Are you aware of the fact that your blood helps mosquitoes reproduce? Also, you should know that only female mosquitoes bite. Your blood contains the protein that mosquito eggs require for development. To prevent from such mosquito bites, apply mosquito repellent cream or mosquito repellent lotion. Jopestkil Kenya Common Mosquitoes Types Species Infestation, Mosquito Types and Species.

There are more than 3,500 species of mosquitoes: Do you know there are more kinds of mosquitoes on this planet than humans are? There are more than 3,500 different species of mosquitoes ready to ooze out your blood. To give you an idea of what exactly that number looks like, if 100 trillion mosquitoes were stacked together on a football field, the pile would reach more than three miles high.

The average mosquito lifespan is less than two months: Mosquitoes are one of the deadliest species on the planet and their ideal life span might surprise you. After mating, a male mosquito usually lives only for three to five days and a female mosquito can live as long as a month or two under ideal conditions. Females within that time lay eggs every three weeks.

Mosquitoes can hibernate: Mosquitoes are cold blooded creatures. They differ from humans in the sense that their body temperatures gets adjusted according to their current location. This is why mosquitoes like majority of other insects tend to be more visible during the warmer times of the year. Mosquitoes that are present in temperate regions tend to do a lot of hibernating.

Mosquitoes spend their first 10 days in water: Water is essential for mosquitoes because that is where they usually make their habitat and hatch their eggs into larvae, called wigglers. These wigglers basically feed on organic matter present in the stagnant water and breathe oxygen form the surface. These wigglers later develop into pupae which do not feed and are partially encased in cocoons. After a few days, these pupae develop into an adult mosquito. This process takes 10 days before a mosquito starts to fly.

Female Mosquitoes lay up to 300 eggs at a time: Mosquitoes usually lay their eggs at night. Usually, the eggs are deposited in clusters called rafts on the surface of stagnant water, or they are laid in areas that flood regularly. Eggs can hatch in as little as an inch of standing water. Females will lay eggs up to three times before they die.

Mosquitoes drink up to three times their weight in blood: Mosquitoes suck blood through their proboscis. It is like a tube and it would take approximately 1.2 million mosquito bites to drain out all the blood from your body. Female mosquitoes need blood to lay eggs and reproduce in large numbers.

Mosquitoes are the world’s deadliest creatures: Mosquitoes are the deadliest creatures and are capable of transmitting deadly diseases. Mosquitoes are completely responsible for the propagation of malaria which affects nearly 300 million people every year. Malaria is a disease caused by mosquitoes. There are numerous other mosquito bite diseases like:

• Dengue Fever

• Zika Virus

• West Nile Virus

• Cholera

• Influenza

Mosquitoes can detect carbon dioxide from 75 feet away: Carbon dioxide, which humans and other animals produce, is actually a key signal to mosquitoes that a blood meal is near. They have a keen sensitivity to CO2 that is present in air. A female mosquito flies back and forth through the CO2 plume until she locates her victim. Jopestkil Kenya Common Mosquitoes Types Species Infestation, Mosquito Types and Species.

The bumps from mosquito bites are caused by saliva: When a mosquito bites you and sucks blood from your body, you are left with mosquito saliva in your body. This saliva causes a mild allergic reaction, an itchy red bump. You get a bump because you are having an allergic reaction to mosquito saliva. Only female mosquitoes bite because they need the protein found in blood to produce eggs. Most importantly kids should be protected from these mosquitoes by applying mosquito repellent patches or making them wear the mosquito repellent wristband.

Body heat can lead to bites: Body heat can make some people susceptible to mosquito bites. Usually visual clues help mosquitoes find humans from a faraway place, but as mosquitoes’ approach, it’s your body heat that draws mosquitoes in.

Mosquitoes have poor eyesight: Mosquitoes have two spheres on both sides of their head which has hundreds of eyes. If seen closely, it looks like a mesh. Due to this design, their vision becomes hugely contorted and therefore they have to rely on chemical and thermal receptors.

What Diseases Can You Get From Mosquitoes?

Mosquito bite symptoms are influenza, yellow fever, stomach infections. Several mosquito borne viruses and disease caused by a mosquito bite are as follows:

• Zika Virus

• Malaria

• West Nile Virus

• Dengue Fever

• Yellow Fever

• Chikungunya

• Influenza

How to Prevent Yourself From Diseases Caused by Mosquitoes?

Mosquito repellent is one of the most effective ways to get rid of mosquitoes. A mosquito repellent is highly effective in keeping the mosquitoes away. New advanced uses a formula which masks the distinctive body odor that human skin emits and offers 99.9% protection against mosquito bites. Available in gel, cream, spray, roll on, patches and wrist band formats; it can prove effective in staying protected against their bite for up to 8 hours.

Jopestkil Kenya Common Mosquitoes Types Species Infestation, Mosquito Types and Species.