The female mosquito needs blood to produce fertile eggs. Since the male, does not, he has no need for mammalian blood nor to bite. A blood meal is required for each batch of eggs the female lays, and she lays multiple batches. 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

The main source of food for both the male, which is smaller, and female is sugar which they get from plant nectar, plant juices and fruit juices. It is their primary source of energy used to fly. They must eat some source of sugar every day. The females actually hunt for blood less often.

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

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