Original photo by Ildar Abulkhanov/ iStock
There are a few ways to avoid the itch-inducing bites of summer’s biggest pest: the mosquito. Wearing long-sleeved apparel and dousing yourself in insect repellent can help, but avoiding some beverages — particularly alcohol — might further protect you. According to a 2010 study of mosquito biting preferences, beer makes humans more attractive to the paltry pests.
Researchers found that Anopheles gambiae, a mosquito species in the genus responsible for transmitting malaria, were more attracted to humans who had consumed beer (compared to those who consumed only water), and the results were evident as soon as 15 minutes after the humans began drinking. Other studies have produced similar findings; one examination of alcohol’s role in mosquito meal choices found that those who imbibed just one 12-ounce beer were more likely to be pestered by the insects. It’s unclear why beer primes humans to become bite victims, though some scientists believe it could be partly linked to body temperature; alcohol expands the blood vessels, a process that slightly increases the skin temperature and also makes us sweat, two factors that may attract more hungry mosquitoes.
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It's a factNot every mosquito you see is out for blood. That’s because only female mosquitoes bite, in search of blood that provides them with enough protein to develop eggs and successfully reproduce, while males feed on nectar.
For being such tiny insects, mosquitoes are incredibly effective in their ability to feast on larger prey. Their proboscises — aka mouths — are created from a complex system that includes six needlelike mouthparts called stylets; when a mosquito bites, the stylets are used to hunt for nearby blood vessels. That makes a mosquito’s job of finding food quick and easy work — a necessity when dinner comes with a risk of being swatted.
Numbers Don't Lie
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______ is the only country free of mosquitoes.
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Iceland is the only country free of mosquitoes.
London’s subway system has a type of mosquito named after it.
There are thousands of mosquito breeds throughout the world, but London has one subspecies informally named for its subway system. Scientists believe the Culex pipiens molestus, often called the London Underground mosquito, is a variation of the Culex pipiens, the most widespread mosquito in the world. The London Underground mosquito is thought to have lived beneath the city’s streets for around 150 years. While the pests were acknowledged during World War II, when Brits sheltering below ground were bitten by the hungry insects, it wasn’t until decades later that researchers began to study them in earnest. By 1999, English researcher Katharine Byrne determined that the mosquitoes living in London’s subway tunnels had morphed into their own subspecies, unable to even breed with other species. However, more recent research suggests the pests didn’t evolve inside the Underground, but possibly in Egypt and nearby areas centuries ago. Today, Culex pipiens molestus is found in underground locations in many parts of the world.
Nicole Garner Meeker is a writer and editor based in St. Louis. Her history, nature, and food stories have also appeared at Mental Floss and Better Report.
