Why do mosquitoes bite?

Mosquitoes require blood to develop eggs. Since the males do not lay eggs, they do not bite. The female is always looking for a blood meal and needs a blood meal for every batch of eggs she lays.

Why do mosquitoes leave welts?

The female mosquito actually pierces the skin to inject saliva into the wound before drawing blood. The saliva is needed to prevent the blood from clotting in the narrow tube of her food canal. The welts that appear after a mosquito bite are an allergic reaction to the saliva that has been injected to prevent the clotting. The itching and swelling that occur after a bite subside within a few hours. Since some people are highly sensitive, symptoms may persist for several days. Scratching the bites can sometimes cause infection to occur.

How long do mosquitoes live?

An adult mosquito's life span lasts about two weeks. The majority meet a violent end by serving as food for birds, dragonflies and spiders. Others may be killed by the effects of rain, wind and drought. There are some mosquitoes that can hibernate in arctic regions for long periods of time.

Where do mosquitoes lay their eggs?

All female mosquitoes need stagnate water sources in which to lay their eggs and complete the life cycle. Favoured breeding places include barrels, buckets, jars, flower vases, plant sources, tins, tyres, roof gutters, fish bowls, bird baths, children's wading pools, wheelbarrows, tree holes, trash cans and lots more places where water is collected and stored.

How can mosquitoes transmit disease?

The female Aedes aegypti can transmit dengue fever and dengue haemorrhage fever, if it bites a person in the infective stage of dengue and then bites another person, who in turn becomes ill, and then the chain continues. Mosquitoes DO NOT TRANSMIT HIV.

What attracts mosquitoes?

Mosquitoes are attracted to perspiration, warmth, body oder, carbon dioxide and light.

Repellents can offer relief: There are various insect repellents available for purchase that can be applied to the skin and clothing. Burning mosquito coils around the house can be helpful. Citronella candles are worth trying, too.

How to stop mosquito breeding

Households: Buckets, barrels, plant pots, plant saucers, flower vases, tyres, roof gutters, children's wading pools, wheelbarrows, trash cans or any other receptacles around the house need to be emptied of water and covered or stored so that they will not catch water.

Avid gardeners, with many plant pots and cuttings must be extremely diligent in this respect to prevent mosquito breeding. Store all empty pots and trays in a shed or basement and under cover. Birdbaths should be scrubbed and cleaned at leave every five days, or else they should be dismantled.

Boats are often found to be breeding sites, and care must be taken to ensure that the drain plug is left out and that the drain remains unobstructed if stored on land. Cement block walls that have open cells at the top are a likely breeding site and should be filled in with cement. If you have a fishpond the Pest Control section will supply free mosquito eating fish that will eat the mosquito larvae.

Tyres should either be discarded or stored inside a shed or basement under cover. Ensure that your tank access is tight fitting and that the overflow pipe is screened. Screens on windows and doorways should be kept in place and maintained in good condition to prevent entry of the mosquitoes into the house.

Go up on the roof and ensure that roof gutters are not blocked and holding water. Fix leaking pipes and hose bibs that may cause water to be collecting in your yard.

For multiple dwelling residences such as apartments, each resident is responsible for ensuring that their dwelling and yard are free of mosquito breeding. Take it upon yourself to regularly check the grounds for mosquito breeding.

Farms and stables: Animal troughs and water are good sites for mosquito breeding. Use mosquito eating fish in large troughs and barrels. Smaller containers have to be cleaned and scrubbed out every week to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in them.

Construction sites: On-site water, held in barrels, should be covered or used within five days so that mosquitoes do not breed there. If construction stops, with only the tanks completed, the tank must not be left open to fill up with water. The tanks should be covered with a concrete slab and or a hole put in the bottom so that water will not accumulate.

Garages: Tyres are a favourable breeding site for mosquitoes. Consequently old tyres must be discarded and new tyres kept covered.

On the job: At every job site and workplace in Bermuda, someone should take the responsibility for discarding water that has accumulated in containers.