My name is William and my post will be about mosquitoes which I consider to be fascinating insects and probably my favorites.

There are around 3,500 species of mosquitoes, but just a couple hundred females only out of this number feast on human blood. Male mosquitoes make do just fine with plants, but females need a blood meal before they can lay eggs. The female’s saliva contains an anti-coagulant that lets her more easily suck up her meal. The saliva induces an allergic response from her victim’s immune system; that’s why your skin gets an itchy bump. We all know mosquitoes like to enjoy a couple of human blood cocktails, but did you know they can drink more blood than students can drink alcohol during freshman week? Studies have revealed that mosquitoes are able to drink 3 times their own body weight in blood. Now that’s a lot!

Ever wonder why these little creatures are so attracted to us? Well the reason is simple: Mosquitoes are attracted to the carbon dioxide, lactic acid and octenol found in our breath and sweat, and they also sense the heat and humidity that surrounds our bodies. They may also have a preference for beer drinkers. The scientific community is divided on how these pests should be dealt with. Some scientists think that eliminating mosquitoes wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Others aren’t so sure, though, and worry about the effects on the ecosystem of the loss of an insect that is eaten by spiders, salamanders, frogs, fish and other insects. Nonetheless it remains that something drastic needs to be done as believe it or not these little insects remain by far the world’s deadliest animal.