Do you really know? Are mosquitoes good for anything?
Jul 2, 2025
Mosquitoes may be annoying, but they play an important ecological role. Discover how they contribute to pollination and serve as a food source in various ecosystems. Learn why only female mosquitoes bite humans, and delve into the genetic factors that make some of us more attractive to these pests. The discussion also highlights the serious diseases that mosquitoes can transmit, raising the question of whether we should seek to eliminate them altogether.
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Why Only Female Mosquitoes Bite
- Only female mosquitoes bite humans because they need blood to produce eggs.
- Male mosquitoes lack the tools to pierce skin and are bad at finding humans.
Why Mosquito Bites Itch
- Mosquito saliva acts as an anaesthetic and anticoagulant, so bites often go unnoticed.
- The itching comes from irritation caused by the saliva injected during the bite.
Mosquito-Borne Disease Impact
- Mosquitoes can transmit deadly diseases like malaria, chikungunya, and dengue fever worldwide.
- Malaria alone caused nearly 600,000 deaths across 83 countries in 2023.