Curious About Mosquitoes

PODCAST 229: CURIOUS ABOUT MOSQUITOES

RELEASE DATE: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19TH, 2023

D:  HELLO, AND WELCOME BACK TO THE CURIOUS KID PODCAST.  WHERE WE LIVE, IN NEW JERSEY, IT’S STILL PRETTY COLD OUTSIDE, BUT WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, IT SHOULD WARM UP QUITE A BIT.  MY FAMILY LOVES TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME OUTSIDE, BUT THERE IS ONE PEST THAT COMES OUT IN THE SUMMER MONTHS THAT TRIES TO RUIN OUR FUN IN THE SUN.  LET’S LEARN MORE.  

O:  MAILBAG!

D:  MAILBAG!

“OH MY GOSH!  MY NAME IS JACK AND I AM 5 YEARS OLD, AND I HAVE A BABY BROTHER OWEN, AND I LIVE IN A SMALL TOWN CALLED TRARALGON IN VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA (IT’S RIGHT NEAR THAT TOWN CALLIGNEE).  WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO A PLACE CALLED HEALSVILLE SANTUARY, WHEN MUM CAME ACROSS YOUR PODCAST, AND WE STARTED LISTENING TO IT AS A FAMILY.  I LOVE SPACE AND EVERYTHING ABOUT IT.  A FEW QUESTIONS WE HAVE ARE:  WHY IS THE OCEAN SALTY?  WHY DO PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT BLOOD?  WHY DO MOSQUITO BITES HURT?  

FROM, JACK AND OWEN”

O:  THAT WAS A SUPER EMAIL FROM DOWN UNDER.  WE ALREADY COVERED THE OCEAN AND BLOOD IN EARLIER EPISODES, AND WE ARE GOING TO LEARN ALL ABOUT MOSQUITOES THIS WEEK FOR JAKE AND OWEN.  

D:  WE ARE GOING TO LEARN A LOT ABOUT MOSQUITOES, PROBABLY EVEN MORE THAN YOU CARED TO KNOW ABOUT THE PESKY INSECTS.  LET’S START THINGS OFF WITH THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK.

O:  THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK IS, WHAT DOES THE WORD MOSQUITO MEAN?  HINT:  IT COMES FROM SPANISH.

D:  I HOPE IT MEANS “REALLY ANNOYING”, BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT MOSQUITOES ARE.  I’M GUESSING THAT’S PROBABLY NOT THE RIGHT ANSWER THOUGH.  WHILE YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT THE ANSWER, LET’S LEARN WHAT MOSQUITOES ARE, ALTHOUGH I’M GUESSING MANY OF YOU HAVE ALREADY HAD THE PLEASURE OF SEEING OR BEING BIT BY A MOSQUITO.  

O:  MOSQUITOES ARE FLYING INSECTS THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR MILLIONS OF YEARS.  SOME SCIENTISTS ESTIMATE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR AS LONG AS 210 MILLION YEARS, WHICH MEANS THAT THEY DATE BACK TO THE DINOSAURS OF THE JURASSIC PERIOD.  

D:  AND, OVER THE MILLIONS OF YEARS, MOSQUITOES HAVE BECOME VERY GOOD AT FINDING PEOPLE, AND OTHER ANIMALS, TO BITE.  THEY EVEN HAVE SENSORS THAT HELP THEM FIND THEIR NEXT BLOOD MEAL.

O:  THEY HAVE CHEMICAL SENSORS THAT ALLOW THEM TO SENSE CARBON DIOXIDE AND LACTIC ACID.  WHEN PEOPLE BREATHE, THEY GIVE OFF CARBON DIOXIDE AND LACTIC ACID GAS.  MOSQUITOES ARE ABLE TO SENSE THOSE GASSES FROM A DISTANCE OF UP TO 100 FEET.    

D:  MOSQUITOES CAN EVEN SENSE CERTAIN CHEMICALS IN SWEAT.  IT’S BEEN PROVEN THAT PEOPLE WHO SWEAT LESS ARE ALSO LESS LIKELY TO GET MOSQUITO BITES.  THAT’S BAD BUSINESS FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME, WHO SWEATS VERY EASILY.  

O:  MOSQUITOES ALSO HAVE VISUAL SENSORS THAT HELP THEM FIND BLOOD.  THEY ARE ABLE TO SPOT HUMANS THAT ARE WEARING CLOTHING THAT STICKS OUT.  THEY CAN ALSO SENSE MOVEMENT, AND THEY KNOW THAT JUST ABOUT ANYTHING THAT IS MOVING A LOT MUST BE ALIVE AND MIGHT MAKE FOR A YUMMY MEAL.  

D:  THEY EVEN HAVE HEAT SENSORS THAT ALLOW THEM TO SENSE HEAT, MAKING IT EASY FOR THEM TO FIND WARM BLOODED MAMMALS TO FEAST ON.  BETWEEN THEIR CHEMICAL, VISUAL, AND HEAT SENSORS, MOSQUITOES ARE WELL DESIGNED TO ZERO IN ON A TASTY FOOD SOURCE.

O:  SINCE MOSQUITOES ARE INSECTS, THEY ALSO HAVE THE THREE BASIC BODY PARTS THAT ALL INSECTS HAVE.

D:  THEY HAVE A HEAD, WHICH IS WHERE ALL OF THE SENSORS CAN BE FOUND, AS WELL AS A PROBOSCIS FOR BITING.  MOSQUITOES DON’T HAVE TEETH.  NOW I’M PICTURING A MOSQUITO WITH HUMAN TEETH AND IT’S PRETTY FUNNY.  A PROBOSCIS IS LIKE THE MOUTHPARTS OF A MOSQUITO, BUT IT IS SHAPED MORE LIKE A STRAW.  THE HEAD ALSO HAS TWO EYES AND ANTENNAE.  

O:  HERE’S A FUN FACT:  ONLY FEMALE MOSQUITOES BITE.  THEY HAVE A PROBOSCIS THAT THEY USE FOR SUCKING UP BLOOD.  MALE MOSQUITOES HAVE A DIFFERENT MOUTH PART, CALLED A PALPUS, THAT DOESN’T ALLOW THEM TO SUCK BLOOD.  MALE MOSQUITOES USUALLY GET THEIR NUTRITION FROM FRUITS AND PLANTS.  

D:  THE SECOND BASIC BODY PART OF A MOSQUITO IS THE THORAX.  THE THORAX IS THE PART OF THE UPPER BODY WHERE THE SIX LEGS AND TWO WINGS ARE ATTACHED.  THE MOSQUITO’S HEART CAN ALSO BE FOUND IN THE THORAX.

O:  FINALLY, MOSQUITOES HAVE AN ABDOMEN, WHICH SERVES AS THEIR STOMACH.  IT IS WHERE MOSQUITOES DIGEST THEIR FOOD, AND ALSO GET RID OF WASTE.   

D:  MOSQUITOES FLY, BUT THEY ARE VERY SLOW FLIERS.  THEY ONLY FLY AT A SPEED OF ABOUT ONE MILE PER HOUR.  BY CONTRAST, A HONEYBEE CAN REACH SPEEDS OF 15 MILES PER HOUR.  MOSQUITOES ALSO DON’T FLY VERY FAR, ONLY TRAVELING A FEW HUNDRED FEET AT A TIME WHEN SEARCHING FOR A MEAL.  

O:  MOSQUITOES ALSO MAKE A VERY IRRITATING BUZZING SOUND.  THAT SOUND COMES FROM THE BEATING OF A MOSQUITO’S WINGS.  THEIR WINGS BEAT BETWEEN 300 AND 600 TIMES PER SECOND.  WHEN MALE AND FEMALE MOSQUITOES MEET AND FALL IN LOVE, THEIR WINGS ACTUALLY SYNCHRONIZE SO THAT THEY BEAT THE SAME SPEED.  THAT’S AN ADORABLE FACT TO LEARN JUST AFTER VALENTINE’S DAY.    

D:  MOSQUITOES HATCH FROM EGGS LIKE ALL OTHER INSECTS.  THE FEMALES LAY THEIR EGGS IN WATER.  THEY CAN LAY UP TO 300 EGGS AT ONCE.  THE MOSQUITO THEN DEVELOPS AS LARVA FIRST AND THEN PUPA.  THOSE STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT TAKE PLACE ENTIRELY IN THE WATER.  AS THEY CHANGE INTO ADULTS, THEY LEAVE THE WATER, BECOMING FLYING INSECTS.  

O:  MOSQUITOES DON’T LIVE VERY LONG.  MALE MOSQUITOES USUALLY LIVE FOR 10 DAYS OR LESS, WHILE FEMALE MOSQUITOES CAN LIVE FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS.  I’M KIND OF WISHING IT WAS THE OPPOSITE.  

D:  EVEN THOUGH MOSQUITOES LOVE BITING HUMANS, THEY PREFER MEALS FROM OTHER ANIMALS LIKE BIRDS, COWS, AND HORSES.  

O:  THERE ARE ALSO ANIMALS THAT EAT MOSQUITOES.  THEY INCLUDE DRAGONFLIES, FROGS, FISH, BATS, AND BIRDS.  THERE YOU GO, BIRDS.  WAY TO GET BACK AT MOSQUITOES FOR TAKING YOUR BLOOD.  

D:  SO, WE ALREADY MENTIONED HOW MOSQUITOES ARE DRAWN TO US THANKS TO THEIR ABILITY TO SENSE THINGS LIKE SWEAT, CARBON DIOXIDE, COLORFUL CLOTHES, AND MOVEMENT.  THEN THE WAY THEY BITE US IS PRETTY DIABOLICAL.  

O:  AFTER LANDING ON A HUMAN, THE FEMALE MOSQUITO WILL SPIT ON THE SKIN.  WELL, THAT’S NOT VERY NICE.  THE SALIVA HELPS NUMB THE AREA THEY PLAN TO FEED ON.  

D:  THEN, THEY WILL STICK THEIR PROBOSCIS INTO THEIR PREY.  THE PROBOSCIS IS VERY SHARP.  IN FACT, IT’S SO SHARP THAT HUMANS OFTEN DON’T FEEL IT GO IN, AND WILL ONLY NOTICE THAT THEY’VE BEEN BIT AFTER THE MOSQUITO FLIES AWAY.  

O:  SOMETIMES, A MOSQUITO WILL STRUGGLE TO FIND A BLOOD VESSEL WITH THE BLOOD THEY NEED FOR THEIR MEAL, SO THEY WILL MOVE THE PROBOSCIS AROUND IN THE SKIN UNTIL THEY FINALLY LAND IN A BLOOD VESSEL.  

D:  THE PROBOSCIS HAS TUBES.  ONE OF THOSE TUBES SUCKS BLOOD WHILE ANOTHER SPITS SALIVA INTO THE BLOOD.  THE SALIVA HAS AN ANTI-COAGULANT, WHICH IS JUST A CHEMICAL THAT MAKES BLOOD THINNER, MAKING IT EVEN EASIER FOR THE MOSQUITO TO QUICKLY FINISH IT’S MEAL.  

O:  THE MOSQUITO WON’T STOP FEEDING UNTIL HER BELLY IS FULL, OR UNTIL I NOTICE HER AND FLICK HER OFF MY SKIN FIRST.  A MOSQUITO IS CAPABLE OF DRINKING THREE TIMES IT’S WEIGHT IN BLOOD.  THAT’S ABSOLUTE CRAZINESS.  

D:  USUALLY, AFTER THE MOSQUITO FLIES AWAY, IT WILL LEAVE A RAISED BUMP ON THE SKIN THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE RED.  THAT BUMP IS CAUSED BY THE MOSQUITO’S SALIVA.  THEIR SALIVA IS AN ANTIGEN, MEANING THAT IT CAUSES AN ALLERGIC REACTION IN OUR BODIES.  IN ORDER TO FIGHT OFF THE ALLERGEN, THE BODY WILL SEND CELLS AND FLUID TO THE AREA OF THE BITE, WHICH IS WHY YOU END UP WITH AN ITCHY BUMP.  

O:  WE DON’T KNOW FOR SURE WHY SOME BUMPS ARE BIGGER AND ITCHIER THAN OTHERS.  ONE COMMON THEORY IS THAT LARGER AND ITCHIER BUMPS HAPPEN WHEN THE MOSQUITO HAS A HARD TIME FINDING A BLOOD VESSEL, SO IT KEEPS ON MOVING IT’S PROBOSCIS AND ENDS UP SPITTING MORE SALIVA INTO OUR SKIN BEFORE COMPLETING IT’S MEAL.  

D:  TREATING THE AREA OF THE BITE WITH MILD SOAP AND WATER WILL OFTEN HELP WITH THE ITCHINESS.  SCRATCHING THE AREA IS NEVER A GOOD IDEA, AS IT TENDS TO SPREAD THE ALLERGEN AROUND, SOMETIMES MAKING THE ITCHING WORSE.  THERE ARE ALSO OVER THE COUNTER TOPICAL MEDICINES THAT HELP RELIEVE ITCHINESS, IF NECESSARY.  

O:  MOSQUITO BITES ARE USUALLY HARMLESS, EVEN THOUGH THEY MIGHT BE UNCOMFORTABLE.  

D:  THAT’S TRUE, BUT MOSQUITOES ARE ALSO CAPABLE OF SPREADING SOME VERY SERIOUS DISEASES THAT ARE CAUSED BY BACTERIA, PARASITES, AND VIRUSES.  THOSE DISEASES INCLUDE DENGUE FEVER, ENCEPHALITIS, MALARIA, WEST NILE VIRUS, YELLOW FEVER, AND ZIKA VIRUS.  

O:  THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE TO HELP KEEP MOSQUITOES AWAY FROM YOU.  THERE ARE INSECT REPELLANTS THAT ARE PRETTY EFFECTIVE AT KEEPING MOSQUITOES AWAY.

D:  YOU CAN WEAR CLOTHING THAT COVERS A LOT OF YOUR BODY, MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR MOSQUITOES TO FIND AN ENTRY POINT.

O:  MOSQUITOES NEED WATER TO REPRODUCE, SO GETTING RID OF SOURCES OF STANDING WATER WOULD HELP REDUCE THE NUMBER OF MOSQUITOES NEARBY.  

D:  WE GET LOTS OF MOSQUITOES IN OUR BACKYARD.  WE COULD PROBABLY HELP THE SITUATION BY GETTING RID OF A WATER BOWL WE KEEP OUTSIDE FOR THE BEAUTIFUL BIRDS THAT LIKE TO VISIT.  WE ALSO HAVE A SWING SET IN THE BACKYARD THAT HAS A COUPLE OF SPOTS WHERE STANDING WATER CAN ACCUMULATE, WHICH ALSO DOESN’T HELP WITH THE WHOLE MOSQUITO SITUATION.  REMOVING SOURCES OF STANDING WATER BY YOUR HOUSE COULD HELP IF MOSQUITOES ARE A PROBLEM.  

O:  ANOTHER THING YOU CAN DO TO AVOID MOSQUITOES IS PLAY OUTSIDE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, WHEN IT’S HOTTEST.  MOSQUITOES ARE A LOT LESS ACTIVE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY.  MOST MOSQUITO BITES OCCUR AROUND SUNRISE AND SUNSET, AND DURING THE NIGHT.  

D:  MOSQUITOES ARE EVEN MORE ACTIVE DURING A FULL MOON.  A FULL MOON CAN INCREASE MOSQUITO ACTIVITY BY AS MUCH AS FIVE TIMES.  BECAUSE MOSQUITOES USE VISUAL SENSORS TO HELP THEM FIND MEALS, THE LIGHT THAT COMES FROM A FULL MOON IS ENOUGH TO MAKE THEM MORE ACTIVE.  

ALRIGHT OLIVIA, LET’S ANSWER THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK.  WHAT DOES THE WORD MOSQUITO MEAN IN SPANISH?

O:  IT MEANS “LITTLE FLY”.  PEOPLE HAVE BEEN USING THE WORD MOSQUITO SINCE THE EARLY 1500’S.  THERE ARE PARTS OF THE WORLD, INCLUDING AFRICA, AUSTRALIA, AND NEW ZEALAND, WHERE MOSQUITOES OFTEN GO BY THE NAME MOZZIES.  

D:  BY THE WAY, SCIENTISTS HAVE STUDIED WHETHER WE CAN SURVIVE IF MOSQUITOES DIDN’T EXIST.  IF YOU REMEMBER THE EPISODE WE DID ON BEES A FEW YEARS AGO, WE LEANED THAT WE REALLY NEED BEES TO SURVIVE.  BEES ARE SUPER IMPORTANT, EVEN THOUGH THEY OCCASIONALLY STING HUMANS.  WELL, GUESS WHAT?  SCIENTISTS BELIEVE THAT THE FOOD CHAIN WOULD PROBABLY BE OKAY WITHOUT MOSQUITOES.  EVEN THOUGH SOME ANIMALS EAT MOSQUITOES, THERE ARE NO ANIMALS THAT ONLY EAT MOSQUITOES AND WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO SURVIVE ON OTHER ANIMALS.  THERE ARE A FEW FISH THAT MIGHT STRUGGLE WITHOUT MOSQUITOES, INCLUDING A FISH THAT IS ACTUALLY CALLED THE MOSQUITOFISH BECAUSE IT LIKES EATING MOSQUITOES SO MUCH, BUT CHANCES ARE THAT WE WOULD BE JUST FINE WITHOUT MOSQUITOES.  WELL, THAT’S A WRAP FOR THIS WEEK’S EPISODE.

O:  229 - MOSQUITOES.

D:  GREAT JOB OLIVIA, AND GREAT JOB JACK AND OWEN FOR THE EPISODE TOPIC THAT HAS US BUZZING.  BEFORE WE GO, WE HAVE A VERY SPECIAL LISTENER TO THANK.

O:  WE WANT TO THANK HARPER102613 FOR THE 5 STAR REVIEW.

D:  IT SAYS “BEST PODCAST EVER!  HI, THIS IS MY FAVORITE PODCAST EVER.  YOU GUYS ARE SO GREAT AT EXPLAINING THINGS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME BEING FUN!  PLEASE KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.”

O:  THANKS SO MUCH, HARPER.  YOU’RE AWESOME, AND WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR YOUR 5 STAR REVIEW.

D:  JOIN US NEXT WEEK, WHEN WE WILL GET CURIOUS ABOUT TAXES FOR A LISTENER IN ILLINOIS.  AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING AND GETTING CURIOUS WITH US.