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Mosquitoes
- Mosquitoes have had a big impact on human history -
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Summary: Mosquitoes are probably the most important of all insects in terms of their direct impacts on human health. Mosquito-borne diseases still account for millions of deaths annually world-wide as well as contributing to global poverty.
Jack DeAngelis, PhD
OSU Ext. Entomologist (ret.)
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 Mosquitoes are small, delicate flies (see photo right) that have had a huge impact on human history. Their extremely annoying bite carries with it the possibility of disease. Malaria, yellow fever, and, more recently, West Nile virus are a few of the better known mosquito-transmitted human diseases. Malaria alone kills millions of people each year worldwide and contributes to global poverty by weakening entire populations.
Other animals suffer from mosquito-borne illness as well. West Nile virus is often fatal to birds and horses, and heartworm is a very serious and often fatal mosquito-borne disease of dogs.
Mosquitoes develop in standing water
Mosquito larvae develop in standing water and breathe air either through a siphon tube (see picture top right) or by swimming to the water surface. Even the water in small puddles or ornamental ponds and faulty rain gutters can support many larvae. Female mosquitoes require a blood-meal to produce healthy eggs. During feeding disease organisms may be transmitted to the host animal in the mosquito's saliva.
common misspellings and alternate names: mosquitos, mosquito repelants, mosquito repellants, mossie, skeeters
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Yellow fever mosquito larvae (top) suspended, head down, from water surface by siphon tubes. Line drawing (bottom) of adult mosquitoes.
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Mosquito control
Protection from mosquito bites and the diseases they spread involves (1) control of mosquito larvae in water and control of adult biting mosquitoes with traps or insecticides, (2) elimination of temporary breeding sites and (3) use of insect repellents and sleeping nets. Use these links for more information.
Mosquitoes tend to be more of a problem in warm tropical climates and less so in cool dry climates. However, mosquitoes occur on nearly every continent and are more often correlated with bodies of standing water like lakes and ponds rather than air temperature. As an example, cold high mountain lakes in the Pacific Northwest are notorious for swarms of biting mosquitoes.
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Diseases transmitted by mosquitoes
In the US West Nile virus and heartworm are now the most important mosquito transmitted diseases. West Nile virus can cause serious human illness in a small percentage of the population but is also causes fatal disease in horses and birds. Heartworm is a nematode that causes an often fatal disease in dogs and other unprotected animals. (See links for more information.)
In many parts of the world malaria is still the most important mosquito-borne illness. And, until a vaccine was developed yellow fever epidemics routinely sweeped through populations killing hundreds or thousands of people each year. See The American Plague (right) for a fascinating account of a past epidemics of yellow fever.
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"The American Plague delves into America's not-so-distant past to recount one of the greatest epidemics of our time. It tells the story of the yellow fever epidemic in Memphis, Tennessee-one that would cost more lives than the Chicago fire, San Francisco earthquake and Johnstown flood combined." [Book description from Amazon.com]
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| Related information: How does mosquito biology affect control? (pdf) -- A printable guide to mosquitoes. You'll need Acrobat Reader or equivalent to open this pdf file. |
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Mission: To provide accurate, up-to-date and unbiased information for solving common insect and mite problems around your home, business and landscape using least-toxic methods.
Jack DeAngelis, Ph.D.
Please see the Disclaimer statements as well.
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