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What is the point of mosquitoes (and why do they bite us)?
Translated from Dutch. View the original post
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Endless buzzing and a disturbed night's sleep, fiddling with candles and ointment that smells like lemon - not to mention itchy bumps. Mosquitoes cause a lot of irritations and you sometimes wonder: what is the point of the mosquito? And why does she bite us and itch it?
What mosquitoes do we know?
There are many species, but they all have a small, fragile body, six thin, long legs and usually two feathery antennae (with which they can distinguish smells well). All these mosquitoes have a suction muzzle and most species bite with it. Throughout the world there are three thousand different species of stinging - or rather biting - mosquitoes. The Netherlands has about 34 of them, belonging to the Culicidae family.
There are many species, but they all have a small, fragile body, six thin, long legs and usually two feathery antennae (with which they can distinguish smells well). All these mosquitoes have a suction muzzle and most species bite with it. Throughout the world there are three thousand different species of stinging - or rather biting - mosquitoes. The Netherlands has about 34 of them, belonging to the Culicidae family.
What's the point of the mosquito?
No matter how annoying mosquitoes can be, every species - including the mosquito - has a function. In the period when the mosquito larvae grows up, she eats bacteria from the water. Both the larvae and an adult specimen are food for many other animals — thus they contribute to a natural balance. Among other things, fish, birds, spiders and bats like to like mosquitoes. And because a fish eats the mosquito larvae, we can eat that fish in the long run.
“From birds to frogs to fish, they all like a mosquito.”
The mosquito is therefore part of our ecosystem and also has an additional scientific benefit. The anticoagulant she injects when she bites helps scientists in their research. They use the acquired knowledge about this substance to develop drugs against blood clots that can prevent stroke, thrombosis or myocardial infarction.
No matter how annoying mosquitoes can be, every species - including the mosquito - has a function. In the period when the mosquito larvae grows up, she eats bacteria from the water. Both the larvae and an adult specimen are food for many other animals — thus they contribute to a natural balance. Among other things, fish, birds, spiders and bats like to like mosquitoes. And because a fish eats the mosquito larvae, we can eat that fish in the long run.
“From birds to frogs to fish, they all like a mosquito.”
The mosquito is therefore part of our ecosystem and also has an additional scientific benefit. The anticoagulant she injects when she bites helps scientists in their research. They use the acquired knowledge about this substance to develop drugs against blood clots that can prevent stroke, thrombosis or myocardial infarction.
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