Mosquitoes have a long history of slurping human blood as they have been found to go as far back as the Triassic Period (400 million years ago). In North America, the bloodsuckers date back to the Cretaceous Period (about 100 million years ago). Mosquitoes are one of the most annoying pests that can be found outdoors. They are sneaky little predators that can easily zip in and take a “stab” at their victim before their victim knows that they are even there. Unlike other bloodsuckers such as the bed bug, when a bed bug is biting, you cannot feel the bite. When it comes to a mosquito, most people are not as lucky as it often feels like someone has jabbed you with a stick!
Besides being a nuisance pest, mosquitoes also pose health risks to anyone that they encounter. Despite their tiny size that amount to frail looking bodies, mosquitoes will travel as far as 40 miles to receive a blood meal at a rate of 1 to 1.5 miles per hour. Once a mosquito hones in on its target, it slurps up about 5 millionths of a liter of blood before it is done feeding.
Women are more tasty targets to mosquitoes because of the hormones that are produced and interestingly enough, people with blond hair tend to get bitten more often than people who are brunettes. If you are wearing dark colored clothing, it’s like you are wearing a mosquito target on your chest. Mosquitoes tend to like to bite larger people more than smaller people, presumably because they emit more CO2 and lactic acid, which is what mosquitoes are attracted to.
Pest control experts in Ocean County, NJ have special knowledge and skills to eradicate mosquito populations from a variety of outdoor locations. Follow us on Facebook for more information about NJ pests.