10 Interesting Things About Mosquitoes, the Smallest but Most

Mosquitoes are intermediaries for dengue infection. Although small, they are classified as the most dangerous insects.

Here are 10 unexpected facts about this tiny but extremely dangerous creature that many people do not know.

Mosquitoes are the world's most dangerous creatures.

Although small but with the ability to transmit dangerous diseases like dengue, malaria, yellow fever and encephalitis, mosquitoes surpass the tiger, shark and snake to become the most deadly creatures on the planet. On average every 45 seconds, this dangerous animal robs the life of a child in Africa.

The smell of chocolate confused the mosquito.

Mosquitoes come to "suck" human blood through carbon dioxide (CO2) that we breathe out. But some scents like fruit, peppermint, chocolate caramel, can make the part aware of the mosquito's CO2 being disabled making it difficult to find 'dinner'.

Female mosquitoes determine the target of blood absorption by feeling heat radiation, CO2, some odor in sweat and taste. In addition, mosquitoes can easily reach animals and hot-blooded birds are due to their ability to sense infrared rays emitted from objects with high body temperature.

The reason mosquitoes often fly around our heads.

People 'release' CO2 through the nose and mouth. But mosquitoes can sense CO2 at a distance of 30 meters, so they will quickly identify the target and fly around our heads.

Male mosquitoes do not suck human blood.

While female mosquitoes suck animal blood to replenish eggs, male mosquitoes only suck on nectar or sap to live.

Why do mosquito bites cause itching?

When mosquitoes bite, they pump a little saliva containing mild analgesic and anticoagulant so mosquitoes can comfortably smoke color without worrying about our detection. But because the human body has immunity to antigens in the saliva of mosquitoes, when infected by mosquitoes, we get swollen and itchy.

Dengue virus turns mosquitoes into better hunters.

This virus activates genes that increase the bloodthirst of mosquitoes, increasing the ability of mosquitoes to sense the smell, making them "vampires".

In addition, malaria-causing parasites make mosquitoes suck more and more often than normal mosquitoes.

Alexander the Great died of mosquito bites.

Alexander the Great, one of the most defeated and greatest generals in the history of the world, was defeated by a mosquito. In 2003, American scientists assumed that Alexander the Great died of illness, caused by a mosquito infected with West Nile virus.

Mosquitoes fly slowly

With a flying speed of only about 1.6 - 2.4 km / h, mosquitoes are one of the slowest flying insects in the world.

Where does the hum of mosquitoes come from?

The buzz we often hear when mosquitoes appear is their fast and continuous beating. Male mosquitoes produce higher frequencies when flapping their wings, sometimes up to 500 times per second to find a mate. When finding the perfect object, both will flap their wings in sync.