by Karen Ellis

Created on: July 03, 2008   Last Updated: February 14, 2009

The mosquito is a species that has changed very little since primitive times. It's true that only female mosquitoes suck blood, but it is not their main food. Nectar from flowers is the main diet of this insect. Females suck blood only to provide the food needed for healthy, fertile eggs. When she lands on a human or other animal, she uses her proboscis, mouth part, to pierce the skin and draw blood into her abdomen. Because the male mosquito has no need for blood he does not possess a proboscis.

The Mosquito Welt

When the female mosquito pierces the skin, she leaves a small bit of saliva, containing a type of chemical, that keeps the blood from clotting. This makes it easier for her to suck the blood out and keeps it from clotting up in her narrow feeding canal. The welt she leaves behind is actually an allergic reaction to her saliva. Highly sensitive people may keep this itchy welt for several weeks, but normally it goes away within a couple of hours.

What's the Attraction

It's true that some people attract more female mosquitoes than others. Most of the reasoning behind this is a still a mystery. But science does know that sweat is one of the things they find attractive. People who perspire less, attract less mosquitoes. Over the 30 million years they have been with us, the females have improved their ability to find the nutrient they need to reproduce. They use three main sensors to locate the perfect blood host.

* Chemical Sensors: Both birds and mammals exhale carbon dioxide and lactic acid when they breath. Scientists have found that the female mosquito can detect these gasses from up to 100 feet away. Perfumes, soap, detergent and hairspray can all either detract or attract them, but in most cases only the mosquito knows which they dislike.

* Visual Sensors: Female mosquitoes can see a variation between your clothing and the background and if it's moving, they know it's alive. That's what they're looking for, fresh blood.

*Heat Sensors: Once mosquitoes get close enough, they can detect the heat coming off of a mammal. Light colors hold less heat than dark colors and so clothing that is dark is more attractive to them.

The Diseases Mosquitoes Carry

Insects that feed on blood can distribute diseases from one host to another. Female mosquitoes are the best transmitters of disease of all insects and animals alike. The cause of these diseases come from a human parasite that she carries with her after taking blood from an infected person. The parasite will mature

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