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June 23, 2004:
Mosquitoes
Interview
with Andrew Spielman author of the book, Mosquito
Mike Carruthers:
Did you know that a mosquito is more likely to bite you late in
the afternoon and male mosquitoes never bite?
Andrew
Spielman:
Did you know that a mosquito is more likely to bite
you late in the afternoon and male mosquitoes never bite?
Andrew Spielman
author of the book Mosquito
says mosquitoes do not use blood as food for themselves. The
blood isn't even good for them.
In fact
a mosquito will live longer if she has no access to blood at
all.
Why do mosquitoes
seem to thrive around standing water?
Their
larvae are all aquatic. Oh, all mosquitoes are absolutely dependent
upon water of some source for their immature stages.
And you
don't always itch when you get a mosquito bite.
It's
a sensitivity reaction, it's and immune reaction that's actually
causing the itch. So on first exposure to a particular kind
of mosquito there will be no immune reaction and you'll probably
not itch.
In his research
Andrew says that insect propellants that contain the ingredient
deet seem to work the best. And if you do get a mosquito bite…..
Well, I just hold my arm under the water faucet and turn
the water up as hot as I can stand it and then the itching all
of a sudden stops.
At somethingyoushouldknow.net,
I'm Mike Carruthers and that's Something You Should Know.
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