A mosquito (say: muss-kee-toe) is an insect that is found all over the world.
There are thousands of different kinds of mosquitoes in many different sizes and colors.
The female mosquito needs blood from vertebrates (animals that have a spine) to lay eggs and produce more mosquitoes.
She has a special part of her mouth that she uses to suck blood, and her saliva (spit) thins the blood so she can drink it.
In fact, it’s the mosquito’s saliva that makes the bites itch!
There are over 3,300 species worldwide.
A single female can lay over 200 eggs at a time. Mosquito eggs can survive for more than five years.
All mosquitoes need water to complete their life cycle.
Not all species bite humans; some prefer birds, others prefer horses, and some will even bite frogs and turtles.
Only females take blood; males feed only on plant nectar.
Mosquitoes can fly considerable distances; some species remain close to their larval habitats while others can fly 20 miles or more.
Mosquitoes do not develop in grass or shrubbery, although adults frequently rest in these areas during daylight hours.
Mosquitoes are responsible for more human death than any other living creature.
Mosquitoes DO NOT transmit AIDS.
Mosquitoes DO transmit dog and cat heartworm, a parasite that attacks the heart and major arteries of dogs and cats.