I'm going out on a limb here, today, and talk about someting I thoroughly enjoy, but most humans hate....and that is the lowly mosquito. There is no love-loss between humans and this delicious-tasting insect. And the current spread of the Zika virus isn't helping their cause any. So, is there any reason to like mosquitoes, I mean if your not a frog or a bird? The answer may suprise you.
Humans, and many animals alike, have found these buzzing, biting, blood-thirty creatures to be nothing more than an annoyance. This brings to mine an old frog joke. Why are frogs always so happy? Because they eat whatever bugs them. But humans aren't blessed with a super-long, sticky tongue as we frogs are. Many humans see mosquitoes as having the evil intention of wiping out the entire human race. At times, it can seem that that way. Did you know that that small, arm-chewing blood-guzzling insect is actually considered to be the dealiest insect on Earth? It is! Insects spread diseases like malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever and, now, Zika. And let's not forget our 4-legged friends. Mosquitoes breed heartworms. With so many strikes against them, it can be difficult to imagine that mosquitoes fulfills any usefull purpose. But they do.
Mosquito larvae are aquatic insects and, thus, play an important role in the aquatic food chain. Mosquito larvae are "filter feeders that strain tiny organic particles such as unicellular algae from the water and convert them to the issues of their own bodies which are, in turn, eaten by fish," states Dr. Walgbauer in his book "The Handy Bug Answer Book." Mosquito larvae, as it turns out, is a protein-rich snack for fishies and other aquatic animals. But their role on the bottom of the food chain doesn't end at at the larvae stage. The adult mosquitoes becomes tasy treats for birds, bats, spiders, and the occaisonal frog. No matter how much humans loathe mosquitoes, they represent a considerable biomass of food for wildlife on the lower rungs of the food chain. Their extinction, were that even possible, would have an extreme adverse effect on the ecosystem. You may not like mosquitoes but they do, in fact, serve a useful purpose. And admit it, you do like the birds, bats, fish, and other aquatic animals that need mosquitoes to survive.
Here are the top 10 facts that you may, or not, know about the irritating mosquito:
10. Mosquitoes can detect carbon monoxide from 75 feet away!
9. An adult mosquito, if not squished by a human or eaten by me, may live 5-6 months.
8. All mosquitoes require water to breed. Some species can bred in puddles that form after a good rain. If you truly want to rid your house/property of mosquitoes, you must be vigilant to dump ANY standing water.
7. Salt marsh mosquitoes can travel up to 100 miles from their larval breeding ground.
6. A mosquito's mate synchronizes their wing beats to perform a "lover's duet."
5. A mosquito flaps his wings 500-600 times per second!
4. Mosquitoes fly at speeds of 1 to 1.5 miles per hour.
3. Some mosquitoes don't bite humans but prefer other "delicacies" such as amphibians or birds.
2. Only female mosquitoes bite humans; males feed on flower nectar.
And the top fact about mosquitoes...and I mentioned this one earlier, but it bears repeating...
1. They are the deadliest insects on Earth!
So, whether or not this information has swayed your viewpoint on mosquitoes is up to you; but mosquitoes are an evil necessity. Rather than trying to kill them off, let's look at learning to live with them the best way we can. That means emptying all standing water and wearing a really good insect repellent whenever you're outside. And don't forget to protect your dogs and cats! They need protection, too.
Now it's time for me to hop off and catch a few of those irritating bugs for my breakfast. (Yet another reason to love frogs...)
See you tomorrow!
Humans, and many animals alike, have found these buzzing, biting, blood-thirty creatures to be nothing more than an annoyance. This brings to mine an old frog joke. Why are frogs always so happy? Because they eat whatever bugs them. But humans aren't blessed with a super-long, sticky tongue as we frogs are. Many humans see mosquitoes as having the evil intention of wiping out the entire human race. At times, it can seem that that way. Did you know that that small, arm-chewing blood-guzzling insect is actually considered to be the dealiest insect on Earth? It is! Insects spread diseases like malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever and, now, Zika. And let's not forget our 4-legged friends. Mosquitoes breed heartworms. With so many strikes against them, it can be difficult to imagine that mosquitoes fulfills any usefull purpose. But they do.
Mosquito larvae are aquatic insects and, thus, play an important role in the aquatic food chain. Mosquito larvae are "filter feeders that strain tiny organic particles such as unicellular algae from the water and convert them to the issues of their own bodies which are, in turn, eaten by fish," states Dr. Walgbauer in his book "The Handy Bug Answer Book." Mosquito larvae, as it turns out, is a protein-rich snack for fishies and other aquatic animals. But their role on the bottom of the food chain doesn't end at at the larvae stage. The adult mosquitoes becomes tasy treats for birds, bats, spiders, and the occaisonal frog. No matter how much humans loathe mosquitoes, they represent a considerable biomass of food for wildlife on the lower rungs of the food chain. Their extinction, were that even possible, would have an extreme adverse effect on the ecosystem. You may not like mosquitoes but they do, in fact, serve a useful purpose. And admit it, you do like the birds, bats, fish, and other aquatic animals that need mosquitoes to survive.
Here are the top 10 facts that you may, or not, know about the irritating mosquito:
10. Mosquitoes can detect carbon monoxide from 75 feet away!
9. An adult mosquito, if not squished by a human or eaten by me, may live 5-6 months.
8. All mosquitoes require water to breed. Some species can bred in puddles that form after a good rain. If you truly want to rid your house/property of mosquitoes, you must be vigilant to dump ANY standing water.
7. Salt marsh mosquitoes can travel up to 100 miles from their larval breeding ground.
6. A mosquito's mate synchronizes their wing beats to perform a "lover's duet."
5. A mosquito flaps his wings 500-600 times per second!
4. Mosquitoes fly at speeds of 1 to 1.5 miles per hour.
3. Some mosquitoes don't bite humans but prefer other "delicacies" such as amphibians or birds.
2. Only female mosquitoes bite humans; males feed on flower nectar.
And the top fact about mosquitoes...and I mentioned this one earlier, but it bears repeating...
1. They are the deadliest insects on Earth!
So, whether or not this information has swayed your viewpoint on mosquitoes is up to you; but mosquitoes are an evil necessity. Rather than trying to kill them off, let's look at learning to live with them the best way we can. That means emptying all standing water and wearing a really good insect repellent whenever you're outside. And don't forget to protect your dogs and cats! They need protection, too.
Now it's time for me to hop off and catch a few of those irritating bugs for my breakfast. (Yet another reason to love frogs...)
See you tomorrow!
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