Mosquitoes Bite Some More Than Others
Let’s take everything we know about mosquitoes. Only the females bite. They aren’t feeding, they need the blood to create the next generation. As they bite they first inject a protein that acts as an anesthetic. Before flying away they lighten by regurgitating through their feeding tube waste products, it is this that causes the swelling and itch of a bite. They, and turtles and wasps, are the only creatures completely unnecessary in nature. They follow a carbon dioxide trail to their victims when no other trail is available. Thier wings move at about 800 beats per second. People in the tropics have been known to go mad from prolonged exposure to the sound, waving their hands and arms about in uncoordinated flailings that knock down the center poles of their tents causing the oil lamps to overturn and catch the bedding on fire with the occupants perishing in the flames. The young mature and take flight within thirty seconds of the female laying her eggs under optimum conditions. The Egyptian ruling class had a secret order of priests that worshipped the insect for it’s natural control of the slave population, these later became the Masons. Over 120,000 eggs are laid at a time in a string like a conga line. Mosquitoes are extremely persnickety, they greatly prefer victims with type O positive blood. Various deterrents have been tried, peppermint gum is somewhat effective but getting the insect to chew a stick is tricky. As an alternative a fresh, unlit Camel, unfiltered, will protect a victim from more bites, mosquitoes will fly a mile for a Camel. The release of genetically engineered, dead end, male mosquitoes promises a pest free future but allows the possibility of a future world where bats go hungry. No one wants a hungry bat population. Mosquitoes are comprised of over 27 distinct species, telling them apart is not difficult if one has a small pair of tweezers. The fastest mosquito of all is atypically nocturnal, it’s fly by night, most species being diurnal. All species have poor eyesight and will puncture an unattractive person as readily as a looker. Because hey follow a carbon dioxide trail to their prey, to thwart them, stop exhaling.
Slate: Why Do Mosquitoes Bite Some People More Than Others?.
https://slate.com/technology/2022/08/mosquito-bite-some-people-more-preferences-why.html