To me, there is nothing more soothing than the song of a mosquito that can’t get through the mesh to bite you. Madison Smartt Bell
Let's focus on a fan favorite: mosquitoes
The flying, biting kingdom has too many “families” to cover them all, so this section will focus on only one aggressor. This ubiquitous insect is technically a fly, and per the NIH there are over 3,500 species of mosquitoes spread over every continent save one–Antarctica. Mosquito Joe’s blog relays the uplifting population details. There are likely over 110 trillion mosquitoes in the world, which is approximately 13,000 for each human. In this case, I’m glad I’m not meeting the quota. I’m also glad to be in this country. The U.S. has “only” 175 species compared to Brazil’s 457 according to the World Population Review. The blight could be worse. Other heavy hitters are Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
While only a few species carry disease, those that do inflict heavy damage to the human race with over 2.7 million deaths annually. Granted, that is a much smaller number than heart disease, but it is definitely an external threat. We can’t blame our gene pool or our food choices. Or can we?
Yes, I took a breath. So, bite me.
Yes, carbon dioxide. We exhale it, and apparently mosquitoes are drawn to it. Should we hold our breath when we walk through a swarm? I don’t know, but I do have additional possibilities for mosquitoes’ preferential treatment. Two of the sources I checked had several identical answers, so I’m going with those. If you’d like to check out all the options, take a look at Healthline and Very Well Health. Here’s a short list.
- Blood type. Yep, they’re picky. The Asian tiger (Aedes albopictus) likes type O and the marsh (Anopheles gambiae) prefers AB. Note that mosquitoes can determine blood types from the 80% of the population that secretes it through the skin. They can browse without buying.
- Beer. At least one study showed that mosquitoes prefer alcohol with their host’s blood.
- Heat. Female mosquitoes are drawn to body heat, so those of you who are able to generate heat greater than average are more likely to draw fire. I don’t remember the last time I was bitten. 1975?
- Pregnancy. Women who are pregnant normally have an abdominal temperature 1° warmer than non-pregnant women, and they are more likely to exhale in greater volume, thus higher levels of carbon dioxide. Yes, my last child was born in 1975.
These are just a few. Feel free to learn more about your odds by following the links. Just know that you can avoid some of the mosquitoes some of the time by avoiding exercise and alcohol. That’s what all that means, right?
Options for avoiding the bite
You’re not likely to sell your house and move just to avoid insect bites, but there are precautions (again from Very Well Health) that can reduce the odds of the itch:
- Wear light-colored clothing and cover up. That is, wear long sleeves. Ah. another mystery solved.
- Plant stinky plants such as lavender, lemon grass, basil, and sage. No, the article didn’t call them stinky.
- Get up late and go to bed early. Mosquitoes are more likely to chow down at dawn and dusk.
- Apply essential oils. Clove oil and cinnamon oil can repel some pests for up to 100 minutes. You can go the chemical route, too, but natural repellents seem like a good idea.
Here’s the deal. Mosquitoes have inhabited the planet for over 200 million years – since the Jurassic Period. You don’t have what it takes to wipe them out. You could hang your hat on the fact that they’ve only been in this country since the 1400s. Still, you’re facing 600 years of history with these blood-suckers that almost always draw first blood. How do you avoid being a target?
Do what you want in the cool months. When it gets hot, do what I do all year: move as little as possible; wear long sleeves all summer. Avoid any activity that generates heat and eschew alcohol. Doesn’t work for you? There’s always Antarctica.
Good topic selection. When it comes to things the world could do without, mosquitos rank right up there with organized religion. During mosquito season we are either inside or in Ruidoso, NM due to the heat, avoiding the mosquitos is a nice by-product. Further, mosquitos require stagnate water to breed. We live hilltop and have been in drought conditions since Hector was a pup. Having said this, I see far more of them than I would like.
I guess they like your blood type. Or content. 🤭
Fortunate to live in East TN, the land of the fast flowing rivers and streams. Seems
we have far fewer than we did in Memphis.
Hadn’t thought about it, but I moved from West Tennessee to the Midwest, then Middle TN, then East. Perhaps the species that do live here and can resist the wind just aren’t interested in me. I’m good with that.