(WHNT) - There are about 2,700 species of mosquitoes, but only 176 actually bite humans.
It's the females that bite and, in fact, they have to. They need our blood protein to complete the life cycle of their eggs. A mosquito only takes about 5-millionths of a liter of blood when they bite you. That's not much, considering the itchy welt they leave on your skin.
There's not much for us to like about mosquitoes. These unwelcome visitors at our summertime outdoor activities can infect us with disease. What's particularly frustrating is that we often provide places for them to grow.
"Mosquitoes are very abundant. It takes very little for them to be able to breed, and it doesn't take them long to complete their life cycle. All you've got to have is a vase with some water in it setting beside your house, and you can get hundreds of little mosquito larvae in there," says Alabama A&M Entomologist Ken Ward.
Mosquitoes are a fact of life in the south and there are multiple reasons for their attraction to us humans. In fact, some of us are more attractive than others.
You'll find out all the ways mosquitoes zero in on us tonight (Monday, July 1) on WHNT News 19 at 10:00 PM. The report is called "Mosquito Magnets." Be sure and watch to find out why we all are just that, and why you might be an "extra strong" mosquito magnet.
Do you have a home remedy for keeping mosquitoes away or treating a mosquito bite? Comment on this post with your home remedy and we will share some of the best and most interesting ones!