Everything You Should Know About Mosquito Bites

Annoying both by its bite and by its presence, the mosquito can really ruin a quiet and enjoyable evening. In addition, they can cause stinging and infections. Also, in other countries, they can be carriers of serious diseases.

In this article, we explain who those pesky flyers are and what to do when they bite us.

What are mosquitoes?

Mosquitoes or mosquitoes are members of the Diptera family (Greek for “two wings”), so they are related to other insects such as flies or horseflies, for example. In this sense, the common mistake of identifying every nematode as a “mosquito” is often made. However, this is incorrect, mosquitoes are specifically culicides, of which more than 3500 different species have been identified.

Like all diptera, mosquitoes have four stages throughout their life: egg, larva, pupa and adult. In addition, they need water to complete them, since the larvae live in water. Likewise, a very short life span is estimated for them, approximately a couple of weeks for the four phases.

Mosquito bites

As we have seen, not all Diptera stings. Indeed,  only one species is the cause of them: the culicids or mosquitoes themselves.

These are characterized by their small size and, of course, for being flying. In addition,  the female is in charge of choosing and attacking her victim, and not the male. In this case, it does it in search of blood, which it needs to fulfill the fertilization cycle. In fact, if you don’t get it, there is a chance that you will be infertile.

For their part, the males feed on fruits and nectar. Thus, the possibility that they absorb blood, both from people and from other animals, is ruled out.

Why do mosquitoes bite?

In the first place, they do it for subsistence, as we have indicated previously. In addition to this, there are also other factors that affect the bite.

Here are the most relevant ones.

Lactic acid

This is emitted through sweating and breathing, and often attracts insects (especially mosquitoes). Among the individuals that produce higher emissions of this acid, we find women in gestation processes, for example.

On the other hand, athletes are also usually easy prey for these animals, especially after doing a training session.

Carbon dioxide (CO2)

Something similar to what happened with lactic acid, happens with CO2. This is released through respiration and attracts a large number of mosquitoes.

Both the presence of lactic acid and carbon dioxide are usually indicative of the presence of large amounts of fresh blood. This gives us the explanation of why mosquitoes are tempted to make their bites.

How to determine if a bite is a mosquito?

These pesky insects are almost invisible. Beyond that, they are considered imperceptible, except when they emit a kind of buzzing in the ear. For this reason, in general, we only feel them when they have already done “their work”, the famous mosquito bite.

To recognize it, it is necessary to determine the following symptoms:

• Swelling.
• Itch.
• Redness
• Pain.

On rare occasions, these can also cause:

• Fever.
• Loss of consciousness
• Headache.
• Difficulty breathing.
• Pressure in the chest.

Treatment for mosquito bites

There are many alternatives to mitigate the effects of a mosquito bite. Here are some natural remedies that can help you.

Apply ice

Ice contributes to the treatment of inflammation and pain. On the other hand, it is easy to obtain and to apply.

• It is recommended to cover it with a cloth before applying it, to avoid burning the skin caused by the cold.

Wash the affected area

To carry out this advice it is necessary to do it with plenty of soap and water. It is recommended that the latter not have a pungent aroma. This alternative prevents the accumulation of infectious products present in the mosquito.

Alcohol towels

In the market we can find small pieces of cloth covered with adequate amounts of alcohol. Using them on the affected area can help treat the infection.

Even if it burns a bit, it is worth a try, especially when you consider how easy it can be.

Use repellent

Luckily, there are many products that can help us to scare off insects, even of natural origin. It is worth resorting to any of these repellants in order to put an end to the annoying mosquito bites.