Your mosquito myths busted
When it comes to mosquitos, there’s a lot of misinformation out there.
Firstly, not everyone knows that they are considered to be the world’s deadliest creature. Most people think that they are something to be dealt with in small doses, and that they are only present in some places on earth…. And that’s just the start of it!
We wanted to let you know about some of the biggest myths around mosquitoes, and debunk them right here in our latest blog:
Mosquitos all survive by biting humans.
This is one of the biggest myths that we see here at THEYE is that mosquitoes survive by feeding off humans, like tiny vampires. The first thing to mention is that this isn’t true because male mosquitoes don’t bite at all. The females bite purely because they require a blood meal in order to produce her eggs - and they need just one meal to be able to do so. For each meal, a female mosquito can produce a clutch of eggs that can contain up to 250 in number. Alongside this, it’s important to note that out of the approximate 3,500 species of mosquitoes in the world, there are only a few that do feed on humans. Most choose to feed on large mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians instead.
All mosquitoes bite during dusk and evening hours.
Probably following on from the earlier myth, thinking of mosquitoes as little flying vampires, this is one of the other biggest misconceptions around mosquitoes and this is one that can actively put people at risk. Many people think that mosquitoes come out to bite in the evening, but for many of the species of mosquitoes that are responsible for transmitting Zika virus and other diseases, they actually do prefer to feed in the daytime.
Mosquitoes are just pests and serve no purpose.
When you’re stuck with some bites that don’t look like they are going anywhere, it’s easy to think that mosquitoes are just pests that serve no purpose whatsoever. Unfortunately, this is not the case - whilst it might be nice to think that! These bugs are a crucial component of the food chain, with larvae and pupae being a food source for fish and other aquatic organisms, and the adults eaten by reptiles, birds and other insects. They do form an important part of the food chain and help other animals to thrive - so whilst they are truly an annoyance to us as humans, their place in the world is an important one and shouldn’t be discounted.
If I’m bit a lot, it means that I have sweet blood.
Of course it would be nice to think that you’re a target because you have really delicious, sweet smelling blood which attracts the mosquitoes. But it’s not true. Some people can be magnets for the bugs for a number of different reasons - including emissions in our breath, the heat of our bodies and the way that our skin smells. They can even sense odours such as sweat, lactic acid, ammonia and more in our bodies - which all work together to make us an attractive target or not. There’s also been some research to suggest that some mosquito species are actually attracted to a contrast between dark and light colours - so it could even be your choice of outfit which causes the bites more than usual!
The only thing that we do know is, the only way to truly stop yourself being attractive to them is by using an effective mosquito repellent - which can be found here on the website over on THEYE.
Certain foods will stop you getting bitten.
Wouldn’t that be nice? A lovely garlic-y dinner the night before would keep you protected from bugging bites all day. Unfortunately, it’s not true. Many people think that foods such as garlic, marmite and other food supplements can be all of the repellent that you need. However, the only thing you’re likely to put off by smelling of these foods will be your other human companions! Mosquitoes are attracted and repelled by very specific chemical compounds naturally produced by our body - their scent receptacles are incredibly sensitive and unfortunately won’t be fooled by any attempt to change our diet to ward them off. The only true way to fend off these creatures is to use specially designed products which actively repel or even confuse mosquitoes - like the range we have on our website here.
You should apply insect repellent to your pressure points for the best coverage.
It’s another common myth that people think that if you put your mosquito repellent on your pressure points, that you will be better protected. This isn’t the case and is likely to harm your repellent efforts. The best thing to do is to apply liberally over exposed skin, or to have with you something like a band which continually provides a presence of repellent around your body. We always recommend that you follow the label on all of our products, reapplying regularly when the repellents wear off - particularly in high risk areas.
Want to browse all of our products? You can see our full range of DEET and alcohol-free repellent products over on our website at www.theye.co.uk.