Frequently Asked Questions
Female mosquitoes require blood to produce eggs, which they consume for proteins and nutrients.
The factors that determine mosquito feeding behavior are not fully understood. However, they are drawn to the carbon dioxide emitted by hosts and use other attractants to determine if the host is suitable for feeding.
Yes, mosquitoes are the most significant transmitters of diseases globally, including malaria, encephalitis, yellow fever, and West Nile virus.
Mosquitoes are cold-blooded and cannot regulate their body temperature, so they hibernate below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Some species lay hardy eggs that survive the cold, while others hibernate in various developmental stages.
Ticks can transmit various diseases, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tick paralysis, and human diseases like malaria.
Ticks have barbed mouthparts that make them difficult to dislodge from hosts.
Ticks secrete a numbing chemical before they begin feeding and can transmit diseases through their saliva. Female ticks can suck up to a hundred times their body weight in blood before laying hundreds of eggs and dying.
Do not squeeze or burn ticks. Instead, use tweezers or a tick puller to grab the tick by its head and gently ease it out. Do not twist.
Drop the tick into alcohol to kill it. Do not squish it with your fingers, as this can transmit contagious diseases.