Nothing worse than the buzzing of a mosquito at midnight just when you are about to fall asleep. These flying insects enjoy hovering around our bodies, especially in the ears. But have you ever wondered why they choose the ears in the first place and how they produce that annoying sound?
According to Michael Riehle, professor of entomology at the University of Arizona (United States), ringing in the ear is actually a side effect of the mosquito’s wingbeat. In fact, the sound does not have a long range, so it is only possible to appreciate the sound when they fly around the ears.
Female mosquitoes
Probably, if you hear the buzzing of a mosquito in your ear it is coming from a female. This is because male mosquitoes tend to spend most of their time looking for nectar in flowers, while females prefer to find blood to have energy after mating and, in this way, to be able to produce eggs.
So much so that, according to Riehle, females are equipped with unique tools to locate the next victim. From a distance, female mosquitoes can detect the carbon dioxide that we breathe out into our bodies. The carbon dioxide stimulates the female mosquito to start looking for hosts, flying back and forth until it reaches its prey.
Simply put, mosquitoes buzz around our heads because that’s where we expel the most carbon dioxide.
As it gets closer, the female mosquito concentrates on body heat to land on the person. Thus, the mosquito uses taste sensors (which they have in their legs) to determine if the human, or any blood-bearing animal, is suitable to become their food.
On the other hand, researchers have not been able to conclude whether mosquitoes have a preference for a specific blood type. However, there is evidence that they take into account certain factors, such as a person’s genetics or even their diet.
They prefer feet
According to the researcher, most mosquitoes prefer to hover by our feet and not by the head. This is because human feet have bacteria that, in turn, emit scents that attract mosquitoes. However, most people do not notice that they have a mosquito buzzing around their ankles.
