Mosquitoes are small blood-sucking insects that belong to the mosquito family.

Mosquitoes have thin body length 3-15 mm, long legs and narrow transparent wings. The color is yellow, brown or gray. The wings are scaly. The abdomen consists of 10 segments. Rib cage wider than the abdomen. The paws have a pair of claws at the end. Oral apparatus in mosquitoes it belongs to the piercing-sucking type. In females, the proboscis is long and consists of prickly setae, in males, without them.

The oral apparatus is located in the tubular lower lip, which contains several jaws (lower and upper jaws). With them, the mosquito cuts a hole in the skin, immerses it to the level of blood capillaries and sucks blood through this tube.

Development and growth of mosquitoes

The development of mosquitoes is a complete cycle: egg - larva - pupa - adult. All growth phases in a mosquito are aquatic. The eggs are laid in the water. Mosquitoes hatch in all kinds of water bodies: in standing and flowing, temporary and permanent. Mosquito eggs easily stick to the surface of the water, without fear of rain or wind. In one approach, the female lays 100-150 eggs. The development time of mosquito eggs is determined by the water temperature and ranges from 30 hours to 9 days.

In urban conditions, the most favorable places for the development of mosquito larvae are damp and damp basements of houses. Adult mosquitoes live in air environment... The life span of a female mosquito in summer is up to one and a half months.

Mosquito feeding

Mosquitoes are blood-sucking insects. Interestingly, male mosquitoes feed exclusively on plant juices and water. Females, on the other hand, eat mixed: if possible, they feed on the blood of humans and animals, and in their absence, on plant juices.

The importance of mosquitoes in nature

Mosquitoes are essential natural communities... There is a great number of animals and birds for which mosquitoes are food. Also, mosquitoes, like many other insects, whose larvae actively develop in aquatic environment, are one of the main reasons for the inexhaustibility of soils.

What is the danger of mosquitoes to humans?

Depending on the nature of the danger to humans, mosquitoes are divided into malarial (spreading malaria) and non-malarial. Non-malarial mosquitoes are also carriers of many dangerous diseases, for example, Japanese encephalitis, Karelian fever, West Nile fever, Dengue fever and others.

Of these diseases, malaria alone kills more than two million people a year. In addition, mosquito bites, as a rule, cause itching, the site of the bite itches for a long time, allergic reactions, etc. can get tired of the order. And their thin squeak (especially at night, when it is usually more difficult to kill them by hand) - nervous excitement and insomnia.

From this we can conclude that mosquitoes pose a fairly real threat to people and if their number exceeds reasonable limits, it is worth contacting specialists with this question.

“Suddenly from somewhere flies
Little mosquito
And it burns in his hand
Small flashlight.
-Where is the killer, where is the villain?
I'm not afraid of his claws! "
K. Chukovsky
Since ancient times, our ancestors knew that mosquitoes, not malaria, but simple ones, treat a person, heal him from serious ailments with the help of acupuncture.
Everything in nature is arranged proportionally and harmoniously, and every creature has its own benefit. That is why we believe Korney Chukovsky, who made Komar the savior of his Mukha-Tsekotukha. Let us briefly recall the plot old tale: Fly, as they say, "once God sent" a one-time financial aid... Not knowing how else to apply the funds received, the Fly, along with numerous guests, indulged in gluttony, which caused the appearance of the Spider, which can be interpreted as a disease and even premature aging (Old Spider). The disease deprived Fly of mobility ( ".. he twists his arms and legs with ropes ...") and led to inefficiency of the circulatory system ( "... it sticks sharp teeth into the very heart, and drinks her blood ..."). But then a Mosquito appears, and in the ensuing darkness ( vision problems?) his flashlight is just a ray of light in the Dark Realm. And the flashlight helps the Mosquito clearly see the causes of the disease and apply the most effective methods treatment ( "... he takes out his saber and cuts off his head at full gallop ..."). The saber is, of course, the proboscis of the Mosquito, and it is he who has the healing power.
So, you say, the fantasy was played out, but let's try to reason logically.
The healing power of leech and bee stings is known. Saliva of leeches contributes to the improvement of blood (the leech is not a fool, it will not drink bad blood) - its dilution, resorption of blood clots, cleaning of microorganisms. And this leads to numerous therapeutic effects, ranging from gynecology and ending with attempts to treat oncology and AIDS. A bee is just a flying, disposable syringe filled with a unique medicine. Bee venom relieves inflammation and kills pathogenic microbes, tones nervous system and stabilizes the cardiovascular. In the old days, men practiced this method of prevention - they took off their pants and sat in an anthill: if you endure five minutes, you won't know the year of illness. Still - what a stimulation and disinfection of the lower kundalini chakra and the notorious prostate gland.
But this is all chemistry - albeit natural, but chemistry. What are mosquitoes useful for? They have neither poison nor anesthesia for a bite, only a chilling squeak. But still. It's no secret that some mosquitoes bite more, while others seem to be ignored. Why would that? According to Chukchi beliefs, lice appear in people due to the fact that they have problems with the liver. With a liver or not, and in fact - in a large group of children or in a company of soldiers, lice do not cling to everyone. And they settle exactly where the lymph nodes are located, in which any infection settles. This is the point - the mosquito takes not chemistry, but accuracy, he is not a pharmacist, he is a natural acupuncturist.
As you know, there are acupuncture points on the surface of the human body. By acting on certain points with the help of weak currents or acupuncture, the doctor achieves the recovery of the internal organ corresponding to this point.
The new method of treatment consists in the fact that a person who has been bitten by a mosquito scratches the bites and thereby heals the corresponding organ. In addition, mosquitoes act as diagnosticians. In those points of acupuncture that correspond to diseased organs, heat transfer is stronger; it is these places that mosquitoes prefer, which are guided by heat radiation.
A disgustingly buzzing mosquito, which is already capable of causing nervous itching by its appearance, at the same time can be very useful in the treatment of heart ailments.
This is the conclusion reached by Australian scientists in Sydney, who are studying the possibility of using a substance contained in mosquito saliva to dilate blood vessels and prevent the formation of blood clots. Moreover, without any side effects inherent in previously known drugs.
In the laboratory molecular biology At the University of Technology in Sydney, scientists found that mosquito saliva actually replaces aspirin, which is used to treat cardiovascular disease. But if aspirin is unsafe for health with prolonged use, then blood-sucking mosquitoes can give a person an alternative ...
Look at a mosquito looking for a place to bite - does it screech anywhere? Of course not. He long and carefully looks for a place where to stick his needle. And by what parameters does he determine which place is suitable? Mosquitoes find the victim by smell, just as they look for the place that smells the most. And the sore spot smells the most - there is a concentration of blood. And we smell with what our blood is full - it carries everything in the body, it is a universal transport. What smells do mosquitoes prefer?
The first conclusion that can be made is that mosquitoes bite less kind people in a calm state of mind, and prefer aggressive people. Mosquitoes serve as the pointing finger of God and Nature, drawing a person's attention to those mental problems that can cause physical illness (as expressed in the statement "all diseases are from the nerves").
But there is another point: after living for some time in a certain area, you begin to notice that mosquitoes bite less and less. Grandmothers explain it this way: "They have already eaten your blood!" This, of course, is not the case. The number of mosquitoes is huge, and new ones appear every two weeks, they cannot get enough. But we can. Feeding on what has grown in the area, we soak it chemical composition, we merge with the background and become invisible to mosquitoes, unless of course we have persistent mental and physical disorders. Mosquitoes protect the earth from the invasion of strangers and evil - oh, what good fellows! And to a person who is fond of foreign food and generally irrational nutrition, they point out the emerging sores before he himself feels them.
But also because mosquitoes stop biting, that a person, having undergone a course of mosquito therapy, simply recovers. Mosquitoes unclog clogged pores of the skin, and also improve the blood supply to those parts of the body that do not receive sufficient nutrition due to muscle spasms or tightening (like we three bitten places - red-hot - this is a massage!). And if in the language of Chinese medicine, they cleanse the subtlest energy channels. And if we have already recognized the importance of Chinese medical practices and introduced the position of acupuncturists in polyclinics, then it is necessary to recognize their greatest professionalism behind mosquitoes. No matter how thorough the diagnosis a health worker conducts, this is bookish, mental knowledge - he calculates where to stick the needle, and the mosquito feels directly. But the energy channels have a thickness of a fraction of a millimeter and a very small slip can stimulate not the work of the heart, but, on the contrary, depress the stomach. Moreover, the mosquito will not bite a second time into the channel that has already been cleaned, while the acupuncturist, not having full information, will stick a needle into a properly functioning channel and ruin everything.
Therefore, the next time a mosquito lands on you, do not rush to swat it - this is an ambulance Divine help. Just take a breath and relax the place where it hurts, you can send the energy of Love towards him - it will pass through the painful area and will contribute to healing. And thank the mosquito for the free absolutely professional and effective acupuncture course. If your diseases are so neglected that you are simply unbearable from the hail of bites, help the mosquitoes: steam in the bath, swim, wallow in the dew, eat right, move more and more variedly, eliminating stagnation of energy. Your body will begin to exude pleasant ethers, and the mosquitoes will recognize you as the king of nature and will fly around, squeaking respectfully.
Once again, I will return to where we started - there are no useless creatures in nature. Not only mosquitoes, but also many insects are able to uncork channels on the human body. As a rule, those pores are clogged through which toxins come to the surface, carrying out all kinds of internal sores from the human body. Flies are most likely annoying because they urge lazy animals (and people) to quickly clean themselves of the smell and impurities of the skin.
And, of course, the ingenious Chukovsky was intuitively right when he entrusted the role of a healer to a commercial civilization that was entangled in a web, far from nature, namely Komar. And when the disease is defeated, the body is clean and nourished with fresh full-fledged blood, the productive force is revived by itself.
“... And now, soul-maiden,
I want to marry you! .. "
Here, as they say, and the fairy tale is over. And whoever listened and thought about what he heard - will be a good fellow.
P.S. It is known that vaccinations against various diseases are given by the blood serum of people and animals who have been ill, which contain weakened or even dead pathogens so that the body can develop antibodies to them and not get sick with a real infection. But this is exactly what mosquitoes do, transferring blood (in case of an unsuccessful bite) from one person to another. Moreover, they do this precisely in microscopic doses, carrying out a universal preventive vaccination. True, some pathogens, such as those causing malaria, have adapted this mechanism for their own purposes - this is the exception, which proves the rule. After all, someone is allergic to mother's milk, but it is exactly what the child needs for life. In addition, mosquito-borne diseases have not been found in our climatic zone.
________________________________________

For reference. About mosquitoes.
The mosquito chooses a victim not by taste, but by smell. Also, it doesn't matter to him what your blood type is. To begin with, he is attracted by the release of carbon dioxide during breathing, this is a signal: there is a "host" nearby. Exploration planning over a serenely sleeping person allows sniffing out further important information. First, the body must be warm. Mosquitoes like it hot, you know. Particularly attractive to impudent bloodsuckers is the smell of sweat, in particular one of its components - lactic acid, the concentration of which is individual in people.
According to some reports, mosquitoes are not indifferent to those from whom they smell like hair balm, certain medications - for example, heart. And also alcohol. However, it is possible that it is simply more convenient for mosquitoes to have a feast on a drunken body: he sleeps with a deck, if you want - itch, if you want - bite, he still does not feel anything. According to S. Chaika, Deputy Head of the Department of Entomology of the Biological Faculty of Moscow State University, people with white sensitive skin, especially women and children, have a stronger reaction to bites, which is why it seems that they are bitten more.
The experiments of foreign scientists, whose purpose was to find out what mosquitoes, on the contrary, do not like, confirmed the long-known: it is the smell of anise, cloves, camphor oil, eucalyptus, garlic, incense, lavender, tobacco smoke and smoke in general, for example from a fire. Observations that indicate that mosquitoes do not tolerate yellow color have remained open to question and so far without explanation. As for the presence of sugar in the blood, and even more so for the diagnosis of diabetes by the addictions of mosquitoes to certain individuals - about this science at this moment nothing is known. Here mosquitoes really flock to patients with malaria more often. And also - on those who have more B vitamins in their blood. But people who take drugs that lower cholesterol levels, mosquitoes do not want to bite. But they also determine this not by taste, but by smell.
The mosquito carries accurate information about the future flu this season, and if you allow yourself to be vaccinated, then you will not have to play roulette in a policlinic.
Mosquitoes do not treat the flu itself, but provide information to weakened organs, which atmospheric phenomenon will be more effective and in what quantity, and the body makes adjustments and increases the supply of substances to the necessary organs, if the body is strong, then there is no need for mosquitoes to bite you.

Mosquitoes play important role in nature in the formation of the soil of the earth, and also serve as food for many animals and birds. Here is a description of the role of mosquito larvae in the natural food chain:
“Despite the troubles that blood-sucking mosquitoes cause to humans and animals, they are one of the most important components of our ecosystems, both aquatic and terrestrial. Mosquito larvae serve as food for many aquatic animals, including valuable commercial species fish. Adult mosquitoes are food for many terrestrial carnivorous invertebrates such as spiders, ktyri, dragonflies, etc., which regulate the number of all kinds of pests. "

God! Well, how tired of
Mosquitoes, midges and all kinds of nasty things!
Why did you create them, really?
I can't figure it out without you.
God, what's the use of them?
Only the redness of the bite, itching.
They can only fly, crawl on the skin,
Carrying diseases is a strange job.
God, I beg you, explain it to me
Help me understand about mosquitoes:
- How should I relate to this heap ...?
And collapsed on the bed.
I quickly fell into a heavy sleep.
I dream that I am standing on the shore
Rivers. Suddenly it flies, pray tell
A cloud of mosquitoes. Where will I run?
They covered everything, they buzz, they swear
That people are not bitten out of malice,
They will tell everything, serve on a saucer,
Like, nature created them that way.
That they need to multiply somehow,
You can't do without blood,
This shouldn't come as a surprise.
Without blood, the race will die out, this is life:
- We are not useless creatures,
God worked to create us, not in vain!
We start safari in the evening,
Wet dawn pleases us.
You will meet us in the taiga by the reservoir,
In a swamp, in a city, in a village.
We are familiar with each frog,
Living with us is perhaps more fun.
We serve as food for a feathered bird,
For mice, bats, fat toads.
Man seeks to destroy us,
Corrodes with hatred and rust.
You should not relax with us.
We sometimes tell history.
We are like a horse with a filling for Troy,
We reach the heights of life.
We find the victim by smell,
We are looking for a long time where to stick the needle.
There are many mosquitoes,
How tastier it is to serve blood to the table.
We bite the wicked, the sick, and the psychos.
If you are unbearable from us -
Swim, and steam in the bath dashingly,
We will not notice your nakedness.
Do morning exercises
Bathe in the morning dew
Eat right and be in order
Contain the body (but not all!).
Is our therapy not held in high esteem?
Our God! What a passage for us!
You rub the place from the bite for a long time,
Receiving a thorough massage.
The massage brings benefit only to you,
Relieving spasm from contracted muscles,
Unclogs the pores of your skin.
And sarcasm aside!
Just do not rush to slam us,
Send us the energy of love,
This is how the Actor arranged the destinies of all,
We speak without twisting our souls.
And you yourself must admit honestly -
Mosquitoes should live in the world!
There are no useless species in nature,
We are needed for balance!

What are mosquitoes for?

Long awaited summer rest only annoying midges, spiders, mosquitoes and other insects dangerous to human health can spoil. Positive emotions the shrill squeak of a bloodsucker noticeably spoils from a fun pastime in nature and on the beaches. There are no mosquitoes in our latitudes that carry viral diseases, but skin swelling, itching and burning after a squeak mosquito bite are guaranteed. Seeing a bloodsucker on the body, the question arises in the head of any person: why does nature need mosquitoes?

Having inhabited the planet since the time of the dinosaurs, mosquitoes are an integral part of the food chain for all living things.

And if the hated insects begin to disappear catastrophically quickly, the ecological balance will be upset. Cold-blooded fish and birds will be left without their usual food.

Insect life cycle

Mosquito eggs survive even in ice

Everyone knows that harmful insects live in warm and damp places. Breeding in the basement multi-storey building, under a leaking roof or nestled on the walls of a ventilation shaft, mosquitoes will bother you throughout the year. Natural conditions dictate their own rules, but even here the bloodsuckers were able to adapt. At what temperature does a squeaky mosquito die?

The answer may come as a surprise, but abrupt change air temperature does not kill an adult (imago), but only puts it into a state of suspended animation. The eggs laid by the female are able to survive the fiercest winter, freezing in the ice near water bodies.

Having lain all the cold weather under the snow, with a thaw and an increase in temperature to 15-20⁰С, the larva becomes a functional individual, ready for reproduction in 12-14 days. Females fly in search of warm-blooded creatures, whose blood is rich in protein, which is necessary for breeding offspring. Males usually feed on nectar and do not bite.

The functions of bloodsuckers in nature

What is the main function of mosquitoes? Having looked through the reference book on entomology, there are several important tasks that these insidious insects perform.

Mosquito pupae in water - food for fish

  • Mosquito larvae feed on the smallest microorganisms, which, in excess, can change the bacteriological composition of the water.
  • Pupae that float to the surface of water bodies feed on fish and cold-blooded ones.
  • Adults are excellent food for swallows, sparrows and other small birds.

Flying and dying far from lakes, ponds, rivers, mosquitoes carry various chemical elements such as iodine, iron, cobalt, thus feeding the soil, increasing their fertility.

If all the mosquitoes are gone

The assumptions of most scientists regarding the issue of the disappearance of mosquitoes on the planet are approximately the same. Of course, if the insects disappear abruptly, the Apocalypse will not follow.

The main problem will be the gradual extinction of other species of living beings, for which bloodsuckers were the basis of their daily diet.

This scenario is unlikely. Each female brood contains from 80 to 200 eggs. Get rid of mosquitoes in a targeted way chemicals impossible. Modern achievements of mankind, such as repellents, fumigators, lamps, can only protect a person from the danger of being bitten and contracting malaria.

The bloodsucker will tell you about your health

Is a mosquito bite so harmful to humans? In the common people there are a lot of stereotypes based on unconfirmed facts. It is believed that mosquitoes carry HIV or hepatitis. Scientists have proven that a mosquito bite cannot infect the blood.

The wound will swell and fester if you do not treat the injured area of ​​the epithelium with an alcohol solution, or in cases where you start to comb the blister that has formed.

Surprisingly, such an unpleasant contact with an insect will help you learn about possible problems with health. How will mosquitoes help, what are their bites for?

Mosquito bite as a health diagnosis

  • Bloodsuckers are natural orderlies who will help you find a sore spot. Everyone noticed that the mosquito was circling for a long time, “choosing” the most appetizing place. Often, the bite will have just on the area of ​​the skin where the blood stagnates.
  • Some people welcome "mosquito therapy", the main task of which is to cleanse the body of dirty blood.
  • Frequent insect bites stimulate the immune system.

People with sensitive receptors and allergic reactions need to be wary of tingling bites.

Where flying pests most often bite

Being at the dacha, over time, residents notice that mosquitoes do not bite. This is not because they decided to disappear and move to a wilder place.

Eating natural products and living in one place for several days, the body is cleansed and merges with nature, acquiring smells already familiar to insects.

There is no definite calculation formula for the "landing" of female mosquitoes. The swarm near the swamp bites all parts of the body unprotected by dense clothing.

How a mosquito finds a place to bite

With the fact that fear-making insects bring not only harm, but also benefit, everything is clear. But how exactly will a mosquito find that very diseased place on the epidermis?

The insect is attracted by the smell of a specific area

  • The area of ​​the skin where blood is slowly distilled by the body produces more of the smell of lactic acid, to which the bloodsucker will fly.
  • Proper nutrition and healthy image life will scare away insects. Everyone noticed that for some, mosquitoes are a terrible problem, while others they do not bite at all. People with clean blood do not saturate the air with mosquito-attracting scents.
  • If a muscle grabs a spasm or stretches, then the flying healer will find the damaged area like a cat, choosing the part that secretes the largest number heat.

When you are a constant victim of bloodsuckers, pay attention to your diet. Most likely, your body is oversaturated with toxins.

What a bite is fraught with for the human body

Benefiting the body, what will be the consequences?

  • A slight swelling is possible, which will subside after a few hours.
  • The itchiness caused by the saliva secreted by a mosquito won't last long if you apply ice or an antiseptic.
  • Visiting exotic countries, protect yourself from infections by getting vaccinated in advance.

"Mosquito Therapy" in Chinese Medicine

The benefits of the mosquito, according to Chinese spiritual practitioners, are undeniable.

Taking blood, the mosquito clears energy channels, releases energy that has stagnated.

If you believe Zhvanetsky, then only cockroaches are more disgusting than mosquitoes. A harmful midge with a sharp proboscis, "extracting" drops of blood from us, carries many diseases - malaria, all kinds of fevers, West Nile encephalitis, filariasis and exotic chukugunya. As soon as the sun sets, as in the forest, on the river bank, or on your own balcony, you can hear a thin disgusting squeak - these are mosquitoes out on a date, and at the same time hunting. They say that even taiga bears whine from them: even if you smash the whole face with your paws, and the gnats at least have something. Mosquito bite it itches for a long time, unbearably annoying, but even more annoying is the thought that someone drank your blood with impunity. Destroy them all, and that's it!

It turns out not, because mosquitoes are an important component of natural balance. These are the links of the system, which is called biocenosis, and if mosquito flocks disappear from it, humanity would be very sorry. First, the larvae of these blood-sucking birds feed on northern birds during nesting in the Arctic, and this is an important component of their food. Mosquitoes do not mind to profit from frogs, fish and other small animals. Lost these insects, and dozens of inhabitants of forests, swamps and rivers will be left without supper.

Secondly, oddly enough, but a host of mosquitoes carry out from the swamp not only terrible diseases, but also tons chemical elements, which are indispensable in nature. These are carbon, phosphorus, iron, calcium, nitrogen, boron, molybdenum, manganese - you can't list everything. Often, insects are the only transport of trace elements, without which natural vegetation will die, and a person will remain on the desert land.

And, thirdly, mosquitoes still did a little service to people: by studying their saliva, which does not allow blood to clot, scientists have created a similar drug, but only for useful purposes. True, in scientific experiments, in addition to mosquitoes, other bloodsuckers - leeches - took part.

But why do mosquitoes need blood, because, as you know, they feed on plant sap? Mosquitoes need blood for the normal development of eggs, which are deposited in great numbers in any stagnant water. If this offspring does not get to feed the fish (birds, frogs), then soon - on average in three days - young bloodsuckers will form from it, and the cycle will repeat.

We cannot and should not interfere with it by depriving nature of an element that is so necessary for it. Therefore, in summer evenings and then we will stock up on plates from mosquitoes and various repellents and aerosols. And also to console yourself with the thought that our blood is not wasted, but will serve the noble cause of supporting the ecosystem. And, of course, we will not be afraid of giant mosquitoes, which for some reason are usually called malaria: they don’t bite at all!

Image source: dlyaokon.by