My Theory on Mosquitoes

[Cha]

Why do mosquitoes suck blood when most other insects try to avoid people? I really don't know, but I have made an uneducated guess. I think the original (or ancestors of) mosquitoes sucked the juice of fruits. Some of the mosquitoes came upon a fresh carcass of an animal with soft skin, and they discovered a way to suck blood.

I think it's different for the parasitic worms. It's easy for their eggs to get into a much larger animal. As they hatch and grow inside it, they developed a taste for larger animals. Meanwhile, mosquitoes start life away from humans. I think they developed the courage to approach living humans when their ancestors sucked a fresh carcass.

Another thing that's curious about mosquitoes is that they start their life in water. When they get older, they can float on water with their legs. I have no idea how that came to be.

There are some mosquitoes in my apartment at this moment. I saw them get in when I opened the door.

[The_Doctor]

Why do mosquitoes suck blood when most other insects try to avoid people?

Good ol' Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquitoes

The females require protein for egg development, and since the normal mosquito diet consists of nectar and fruit juice, which has no protein, most must drink blood.

[Devastatin Dave]

I hate mosquitoes, but I guess they do serve a purpose (whatever that may be )
Too bad the enviro nazis fooled the world about DDT (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDT) or thousands wouldn't be dying of malaria every year.

[caravel]

When they get older, they can float on water with their legs. I have no idea how that came to be.

I think it's because they are so light that they can stand on the "skin" of the water without breaking it. Many other types of flies and beetles do this. The "pond Skater" has perfected it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_strider

Observe in the image how the legs form depressions in the water surface, but are not submerged.

[yesdachi]

If I could attract women like I attract mosquitoes I would be the luckiest guy in the world.

I hate them, maybe more then I hate anything else in the world.

There were 2 failed attempts to build the Panama Cannel before it was finally built. You know why they failed? Yep, the little suckers.

(Language - Beirut)

[drone]

Can't remember where I read it, but someone talking about building the Canal once said:

There are two types of mosquitos in Panama, those that are small enough to go through screen doors, and those that are large enough to open them.

[Ironside]

I hate mosquitoes, but I guess they do serve a purpose (whatever that may be )
Too bad the enviro nazis fooled the world about DDT (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDT) or thousands wouldn't be dying of malaria every year.

Eh, did you read your own link? I recommend the "Mosquito resistance against DDT" part, to begin with.

As for the topic I can recommend one thnig that works surpricingly well against mosquitos. Cloth with hoods. By some reason they will very rarely fly into the hood, making your face, hairbottom and neck protected.
It might be some "smarter" or more aggresive type that will fly into the hood on other places though.

[Cha]

Good ol' Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquitoes

You're right. I knew that the mosquitoes who drink blood are all females, but I wanted to know how they evolved that way. According to paleontologists, insects appeared long before the mammals did. Then when larger animals appeared, one day the mosquitoes developed the courage to approach them. Why did one kind of insect turn into the annoying critters they are today?

[Xiahou]

I hate mosquitoes, but I guess they do serve a purpose (whatever that may be )
Too bad the enviro nazis fooled the world about DDT (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDT) or thousands wouldn't be dying of malaria every year.

Probably more like millions- but luckily, more and more African countries are beginning to use DDT for residential applications.

Eh, did you read your own link? I recommend the "Mosquito resistance against DDT" part, to begin with.

That's in areas that use DDT in agricultural applications- which turned out to be a stupid idea for many reasons.

100 Things you should know about DDT

[Martok]

If I could attract women like I attract mosquitoes I would be the luckiest guy in the world.

I hate them, maybe more then I hate anything else in the world.

Which ones--the women, or the mosquitoes?

[InsaneApache]

IIRC they home in on the C02 from your breath.

Last year one of the little swines got me in the middle on the instep of my right foot. The next day I was setting off back to blighty from Paters on Corfu, only this time I wasn't flying, I was driving back. No automatic and no cruise control. That's right kiddies, my right foot on the pedal for the next 3-4 days. It drove me potty with the itching.

[R'as al Ghul]

I hate mosquitoes, but I guess they do serve a purpose (whatever that may be )

They are food for other animals like fish, birds, lizards or spiders etc.
I've to admit that they're the only insects I kill without second thought.

[Somebody Else]

One reason why, wherever I am, I always wear trousers and shoes. (Pale knobbly knees and hairy feet are incidental). I can be in the hottest part of the world, still wearing boots, jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. Bloody insects.

[yesdachi]

Which ones--the women, or the mosquitoes?

Depends on the day I guess!

[Ironside]

That's in areas that use DDT in agricultural applications- which turned out to be a stupid idea for many reasons.

100 Things you should know about DDT

I will not go into a "human lives saved with this method, compared to the deaths and enviromental damage due to the side-effects" as it would require more research than I'm willing to make, but I recommend that you also take notice of what is mentioned in the wiki article and not refuted among those 109 points.

On a simular note, what's up with the general anti-scientiffical mainstream movements in the US? It seems to be quite a bit of them currently. Not that they shouldn't be there (well some are a bit wacko though, well they're funny to laugh at), but that "we know the truth but the world tries to silence us" attitude can be a bit too prevalent sometimes.

[Xiahou]

I will not go into a "human lives saved with this method, compared to the deaths and enviromental damage due to the side-effects" as it would require more research than I'm willing to make, but I recommend that you also take notice of what is mentioned in the wiki article and not refuted among those 109 points.

On a simular note, what's up with the general anti-scientiffical mainstream movements in the US? It seems to be quite a bit of them currently. Not that they shouldn't be there (well some are a bit wacko though, well they're funny to laugh at), but that "we know the truth but the world tries to silence us" attitude can be a bit too prevalent sometimes.

300-500 millions people per year contract malaria and over 60 million have died since DDT was banned. I think you'd be very hard pressed to make the claim that more people died as a result of its use. Prior to its ban, it had saved more lives than any other man-made chemical. Residential use of it has few if any environmental consequences and there have been no proven human side-effects. Again, using it in widespread agricultural and industrial applications was wasteful- but residentially, it can save millions.

I'm just glad that many are now reconsidering their bans and are allowing it's careful use to save lives and prevent untold suffering.

DDT a weapon of mass survival.