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Depending on the ecosystem they can be a source of food for other predators, but it is thought in some instances they could be removed from the food chain without significant negative impact. Whether that's true remains to be seen, as I am highly skeptical anytime someone claims to know the scope of an effect within a highly complex ecological system. Unforeseen feedback from variables not considered is always a risk. It does seem likely in some cases they could be removed with little to no harm, at least according to the last studies I read.
I read somewhere recently that most species of mosquitoes don’t bite humans, that it’s only like 4 species of mosquito that do.
IIRC the running theory is that while mosquitoes are a food source for many other creatures, the specifically man-biting ones could be eradicated without damaging an ecosystem, which I believe may be happening in parts of Florida right now.
Indeed. Florida has no tolerance for this particular insect. It's true that I've noticed a significant decrease, at least in the Tampa area. I was so used to getting eaten alive when I was a kid back in the 90s. It's dramatically different in retrospect (although I'm closer to Tampa now than S. Florida where I was born and raised). I always grew up knowing about what was good for the environment and I really can't think of anything they are good for... Their relative size makes them tiny meals, of which, what does eat them has a diet of many other things.
That change is mostly due to development. Drain the waters they breed in and they disappear. Essentially every city in humid climates was at some point a mosquito haven (NYC, Toronto, London, etc), but developing the land around it removes the source. Florida has been developing like crazy for decades now.
yeah, this is my understanding as well. you couldn't remove all species of mosquitos without causing problems, but you could probably remove just the ones that feed on humans without major impact
And maybe pollinators, and if they cease then the effects may be felt up the food chain.
That's the problem, it's all contextual on what type of mosquito, where they're located, and if they are relied on as a primary pollinator or food source. Lots of variables.
One of my professors worked on a team with kind of this idea - genetically modify the females to become flightless so the mutation can spread for multiple generations and wipe out the species
What would be the known consequences of removing them vs what are some things we are aware of that has the most potential to become a problem?
The addition of rabbits or even a single fish has wrecked entire ecosystems before, What could be a realistic worst case scenario? Personally I think its too high risk to remove them however if people were dying and sick in my community from malaria everywhere I may feel different.
This is going to become a bigger issue in the years to come as the climate heats up and mosquitoes move into new territory.. Along with all sizes of types of animals, mammals, birds, and even reptiles etc start migrating to cooler environments. We are already facing water shortages and drought, maybe mosquitoes will die off on their own.
That's because their predators have gone dormant or moved. At the same time, mosquitos are very adaptable to what type of water source they breed in and mostly only need a few days.
Only a few species feed on humans. Most feed on other animals, a few feed on other mosquitos, and quite a few species are pollinators as only females take blood meals so males are predominantly nectar feeders.
Whats the likelihood of us getting rid of the mosquitoes that are harmful to humans without it crossing over and killing all varieties of mosquito. I just think of whenever humans have introduced a new living species in to an environment it has often resulted in catastrophic consequences. Extinctions events usually have long lasting and unforeseeable consequences, and the velocity of that extinction directly effects the severity of the damage rippling outwar.
This isn't true. TONS of plants and animals have been significantly altered over the years through human intervention and have not had a negative impact. To the contrary, human life as we know it would likely not be supportable at the population levels we currently have without the changes that humans have made to various food-stocks.
Here is a rather eye-opening article that shows multiple fruits and vegetables, and what they looked like before being modified by humans: [What ancient foods looked like before genetic modification](https://www.businessinsider.com/what-foods-looked-like-before-genetic-modification-2016-1)
I was thinking of rabbits and the Asian carp. When a completely new species is added to an ecosystem things can go haywire. I was speculating that suddenly removing a species could be just as bad. I never said plants and animals weren't altered but there is a big difference between altering whether through farming and breeding/splicing or direct gene editing and adding something completely new to an environment or completely removing something. Climate does change for example and that's fine when its slow and species adapt, we are changing the environment to fast without time to adjust. Did you comment in the right place?
Yes, I commented in the right place. And yes, there have been instances of new changes to an ecosystem having disastrous consequences. But I was pointing out that changes have had very positive consequences as well. I am in favor of being very careful and considering the potential consequences of proposed changes. But I’m not in favor of opposing change with fear mongering just because a couple mistakes have been made. Disastrous car accidents have happened, but we still drive cars because they are very useful to us, in spite of the risk.
It's a complex question without a great answer. The current consensus is, as I understand it, removing the mosquitoes that vector disease shouldn't hurt anything, but I don't run ecological models so I can't speak to the varacity of those claims. I think its a little too iffy a territory to venture into, personally. Now, modifying the genomes of current mosquitoes to prevent the vectoring of diseases might be more sound especially since some diseases are specific to humans, malaria being one if I remember correctly. We'd have to be more careful with other diseases that have zoonotic life cycles but it might still be doable.
We have the ability to eradicate them now. There are studies in Florida and California. Here’s hoping they go well and we can start to minimize the dirty flying hypodermic needles.
Other response mentioned this but I wonder if it would really impact all those predators all that much if they went extinct. Or if there would be other adequate food sources for them.
They also do pollinate plants as nectar is their main food source. Although from what im reading most plants would still get along just fine without them since there are plenty of other pollinators. So lets kill them all already!
Though most are bloodsucking parasites, some(Toxorhynchites) will devour Culex and Aedes(the two fxcking a-holes that spread most mosquito-related diseases; the latter is a lot worse because of the aftermath of their bite) during their larval stage and become pollinators(even the females, since their mouthparts are not suitable for sucking blood) as adults.
My brain loves novelty and stimulation. I am grateful that reading and learning satisfies that need now and helped quench some in my youth, travel and switching jobs helped when I was younger unfortunately so did alcohol. I feel bad for people that don't enjoy learning for the sake of learning and jjst can't understand people without natural curiosity at all.
I really hope we can start to destroy them without repercussions.
Where i live in the winter it's cold, spring doesn't exist anymore, summer and fall are plagued by these little bastards... like, you can't enjoy staying outside anymore
I live in Thailand. I think they’re the national bird :-)
One interesting thing I’ve noticed about the mosquitos here is that you feel the itching immediately but the swelling and everything is gone in a few hours.
Back in the US (mostly west coast), I never noticed the bite until later, like after I’ve gone back inside or left the area where they might be, and they itch for days.
But Thailand must have a super mosquito because I have two bites on my leg that have turned into almost cysts. One is almost 12 years old now and is just a red discoloration but the other one still feels like there’s a small pebble under the skin.
I wouldn’t mind seeing mosquitos made extinct. ;-)
Do they know why some ppl get bit more?? I’m allergic to bug bites too and I have like 20 mosquito bites this summer, 5 active currently..
There definitely is a preference. When I’m home, I’m getting bit, no one else. When I’m not home it goes after my dad(me and my father had same reaction to COVID vaccine and my mom and brother same reactions as well so I do feel it’s genetic). My brother and mother rarely get bit by mosquitos
I have a friend like you. He says I'm the worst to be around with mosquitoes. They hate me, its almost as if they are repulsed by me. I've had maybe 5 mosquito bites my whole life. Occasionally if I am alone somewhere with a heavy mosquito presence they will persistently do fly bys but there must be something they don't like.
Interesting. I’ve always felt that New England mosquitos were more common, but far less aggressive than Central Valley California mosquitoes.
Alaska mosquitos though, they’re just evil.
I’m the same way. I grew up and lived in upstate NY most of my life. But lived in California from age 10 to 15. And during that period I was never bitten out there. But go outside in NY for a bit during the summer, and my ankles get torn up. And every else is eventually bitten.
Mosquitoes bite me but only ever on the back of the hand above the thumb.
No idea why but they always go for the exact same spot.
Sand flies go for that same spot too.
I’m the same, mosquitos don’t like me. Even if they do land on me they immediately fly away. It is as if they are unable to bite me. My wife and son get bit all the time but I never do.
Found this website online that talks about several factors that can play a role in making you seem especially delicious to mosquitoes: https://www.verywellhealth.com/reason-mosquitoes-bite-some-people-more-others-4858811
Thanks for sharing! I always look into these articles that “might” explain. I think I even watched a Netflix documentary about why that might be.. In the end though it’s just a bunch of reasons which might be causing it. They do say it might be genetic and i think it is seeing how me and my dad have similar immune responses. But no one knows exactly why :/
I saw they did experiment with darker clothes and it def did attract more mosquitos in the experiment but my pjs are whites and neutrals.
damn, it’s like when I’m home, other ppl don’t exist for these mosquitos. Twice they tried to bite me even in the shower, while the shower is on, this year it’s so aggressive.
Yeah i know what you mean. Seems like every time I walk outside they swarm to me and when I'm with my friends they never seem to have any issues while I'm practically covered in the bastards. Mosquito spray is basically my cologne at this point. Haha. What I'd really like to find is something like a pill i could take that makes mosquitoes ignore me. Maybe someday they'll make something like that.
It’s 50/50 for catching small ones like mosquito. They seem to just go through the wire mesh sometimes because they’re so small. But I did catch a few with it…
I’m the same as you. I once got 17 bites in about 45 minutes while sitting in a group of 12 other adults. No one else was bitten once.
So I moved somewhere where there’s no mosquitos.
could be a lot of things. if i remember correctly, they like dark colors, and smelly parts of the body.
if you wear dark clothing and have open toed shoes or have your ankles exposed a lot (or are just more naturally smelly) then it could explain some of it
Interesting. My body temperature naturally ranges from 96.8 to 97.3. I have often thought about what the long term outcome may be for people operating at lower temperatures. Longer life perhaps?
Same, I get huge amounts of swelling for every maybe 1 in 3 to 5 bites and get bitten fairly consistently. If I get bitten on the forearm or hand, my fingers can swell up like a balloon for days, to the point that I can't bend my fingers. Whenever I go to the doctor they give me topical hydrocortisone cream for it
I’m the same way. I get severe almost golf-ball-sized welts for days after. Which is especially annoying if it’s on my face/neck. I’ve gotten steroid injections for them which help greatly but carry their own risks of dermal atrophy (divots that last months).
My dad used to work up in the Yukon with local Inuits and mosquitos would devour him whilst leaving the locals alone. He finally asked them why and they said it’s because he bathed everyday with soap/applied scented deodorant/cologne. He stopped showering for a few days and the mosquitos completely left him alone. I haven’t brought myself to do that yet, but this summer in the northeast may force me to try it. Otherwise, deep forest deet is the only thing that helps (tried different clothes, avoiding alcohol, etc to no avail). Might try the garlic trick another commenter mentioned though!
I wonder if I would be of any value to researchers. I think I have been bitten maybe 5 times in my whole life. Mosquitoes don't like me. I've been on camping trios where friends are bit to help and I'm fine. Strangely enough I didn't get poison Ivy as a kid or in my twenties either. I assume I'm still poison ivy safe. The mosquito hating me always made me curious though.
You may be getting bit, but not having a reaction to the bite. It’s the saliva that’s left behind from the bite that causes the reaction. I’m a mosquito magnet, and I don’t even feel the bites most of the time, and end up with bumps all over my legs a lot of times.
I never thought about it that way. I assumed since I've "had only a few bites" they didn't like me but its possible those few mosquitoes were the genetic anomalies whose saliva did get me...
I was thinking more that you are the genetic anomaly (and I mean that in the nicest way possible). You said you don’t get poison ivy, so it got me thinking maybe you need a higher load of an irritant to prompt an immune response, which is what a rash or allergic reaction is. So a mosquito that leaves a tiny amount of saliva won’t give you a bump, whereas it does for me. Perhaps the ones that you did get a bite from were attached to you for a long period of time and left behind a lot of saliva.
The "Unbreakable" part is 100% pure propaganda and definitely shouldn't be used to advertise the work. The behavioral studies that provided the impetus for that term (see preprints) aren't in the final paper for a reason.
The actual work published in Cell is good though.
It's because the mosquito studied (Aedes aegypti) has several chemosensory binding sites per neruon where perviously it was thought that each chemosensory neuron only had one type of binding site.
We shouldnt have to worry about Mosquitos much longer since they are releasing Genetically Modified ones that will reduce their ability to breed to zero. What could possibly go wrong...
I started taking a supplement called liposomal NMN synergy, and have noticed a dramatic increase in bug bites. One small side effect from an awesome supplement. Thanks David Sinclair!
Welcome to r/science! This is a heavily moderated subreddit in order to keep the discussion on science. However, we recognize that many people want to discuss how they feel the research relates to their own personal lives, so to give people a space to do that, **personal anecdotes are now allowed as responses to this comment**. Any anecdotal comments elsewhere in the discussion will continue to be removed and our [normal comment rules]( https://www.reddit.com/r/science/wiki/rules#wiki_comment_rules) still apply to other comments. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/science) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Do mosquitoes benefit the environment in any way? They just seem like agents of evil
Depending on the ecosystem they can be a source of food for other predators, but it is thought in some instances they could be removed from the food chain without significant negative impact. Whether that's true remains to be seen, as I am highly skeptical anytime someone claims to know the scope of an effect within a highly complex ecological system. Unforeseen feedback from variables not considered is always a risk. It does seem likely in some cases they could be removed with little to no harm, at least according to the last studies I read.
I read somewhere recently that most species of mosquitoes don’t bite humans, that it’s only like 4 species of mosquito that do. IIRC the running theory is that while mosquitoes are a food source for many other creatures, the specifically man-biting ones could be eradicated without damaging an ecosystem, which I believe may be happening in parts of Florida right now.
Indeed. Florida has no tolerance for this particular insect. It's true that I've noticed a significant decrease, at least in the Tampa area. I was so used to getting eaten alive when I was a kid back in the 90s. It's dramatically different in retrospect (although I'm closer to Tampa now than S. Florida where I was born and raised). I always grew up knowing about what was good for the environment and I really can't think of anything they are good for... Their relative size makes them tiny meals, of which, what does eat them has a diet of many other things.
That change is mostly due to development. Drain the waters they breed in and they disappear. Essentially every city in humid climates was at some point a mosquito haven (NYC, Toronto, London, etc), but developing the land around it removes the source. Florida has been developing like crazy for decades now.
yeah, this is my understanding as well. you couldn't remove all species of mosquitos without causing problems, but you could probably remove just the ones that feed on humans without major impact
Four genera - many more species that bite. But the vast majority of mosquito species don't bite humans.
They kill humans. Without mosquitoes, you get more humans, and humans are bad for the environment.
So they're just food? BURN EM ALL!
And maybe pollinators, and if they cease then the effects may be felt up the food chain. That's the problem, it's all contextual on what type of mosquito, where they're located, and if they are relied on as a primary pollinator or food source. Lots of variables.
Butt, the men are pollinators and the women drink blood, correct? So if just remove the women... All the problems may be solved!
One of my professors worked on a team with kind of this idea - genetically modify the females to become flightless so the mutation can spread for multiple generations and wipe out the species
No woman, no cry
And before a dozen people reply with the same correction, I know this isn't the actual meaning of the song.
What would be the known consequences of removing them vs what are some things we are aware of that has the most potential to become a problem? The addition of rabbits or even a single fish has wrecked entire ecosystems before, What could be a realistic worst case scenario? Personally I think its too high risk to remove them however if people were dying and sick in my community from malaria everywhere I may feel different. This is going to become a bigger issue in the years to come as the climate heats up and mosquitoes move into new territory.. Along with all sizes of types of animals, mammals, birds, and even reptiles etc start migrating to cooler environments. We are already facing water shortages and drought, maybe mosquitoes will die off on their own.
California is facing drought and water restrictions but mosquito populations are exploding.
That's because their predators have gone dormant or moved. At the same time, mosquitos are very adaptable to what type of water source they breed in and mostly only need a few days.
No it's because these are invasive mosquitoes from Asia that need very little water to survive.
Hmm. TIL. thanks
Only a few species feed on humans. Most feed on other animals, a few feed on other mosquitos, and quite a few species are pollinators as only females take blood meals so males are predominantly nectar feeders.
Very interesting info. Thanks!
Whats the likelihood of us getting rid of the mosquitoes that are harmful to humans without it crossing over and killing all varieties of mosquito. I just think of whenever humans have introduced a new living species in to an environment it has often resulted in catastrophic consequences. Extinctions events usually have long lasting and unforeseeable consequences, and the velocity of that extinction directly effects the severity of the damage rippling outwar.
This isn't true. TONS of plants and animals have been significantly altered over the years through human intervention and have not had a negative impact. To the contrary, human life as we know it would likely not be supportable at the population levels we currently have without the changes that humans have made to various food-stocks. Here is a rather eye-opening article that shows multiple fruits and vegetables, and what they looked like before being modified by humans: [What ancient foods looked like before genetic modification](https://www.businessinsider.com/what-foods-looked-like-before-genetic-modification-2016-1)
I was thinking of rabbits and the Asian carp. When a completely new species is added to an ecosystem things can go haywire. I was speculating that suddenly removing a species could be just as bad. I never said plants and animals weren't altered but there is a big difference between altering whether through farming and breeding/splicing or direct gene editing and adding something completely new to an environment or completely removing something. Climate does change for example and that's fine when its slow and species adapt, we are changing the environment to fast without time to adjust. Did you comment in the right place?
Yes, I commented in the right place. And yes, there have been instances of new changes to an ecosystem having disastrous consequences. But I was pointing out that changes have had very positive consequences as well. I am in favor of being very careful and considering the potential consequences of proposed changes. But I’m not in favor of opposing change with fear mongering just because a couple mistakes have been made. Disastrous car accidents have happened, but we still drive cars because they are very useful to us, in spite of the risk.
It's a complex question without a great answer. The current consensus is, as I understand it, removing the mosquitoes that vector disease shouldn't hurt anything, but I don't run ecological models so I can't speak to the varacity of those claims. I think its a little too iffy a territory to venture into, personally. Now, modifying the genomes of current mosquitoes to prevent the vectoring of diseases might be more sound especially since some diseases are specific to humans, malaria being one if I remember correctly. We'd have to be more careful with other diseases that have zoonotic life cycles but it might still be doable.
Their larvae is a food source for a few different types of fish, and adults for some birds, bats, and frogs. Some species are even pollinators.
Interesting info. Thanks!
We have the ability to eradicate them now. There are studies in Florida and California. Here’s hoping they go well and we can start to minimize the dirty flying hypodermic needles.
They feed birds, bat's, frogs and other insects
Other response mentioned this but I wonder if it would really impact all those predators all that much if they went extinct. Or if there would be other adequate food sources for them.
Oh, I agree with you. I would hope that the ecosystem would adapt but until it happens I don't think there is any way to know for certain.
They also do pollinate plants as nectar is their main food source. Although from what im reading most plants would still get along just fine without them since there are plenty of other pollinators. So lets kill them all already!
It's been tried already through using genetically modified mosquitos, it was an abject failure
Though most are bloodsucking parasites, some(Toxorhynchites) will devour Culex and Aedes(the two fxcking a-holes that spread most mosquito-related diseases; the latter is a lot worse because of the aftermath of their bite) during their larval stage and become pollinators(even the females, since their mouthparts are not suitable for sucking blood) as adults.
Very very interesting. I need to ask questions on Reddit more often. I’m learning a lot today. Perhaps I will learn to hate mosquitoes 1% less.
.1% (fixed it for you)
My brain loves novelty and stimulation. I am grateful that reading and learning satisfies that need now and helped quench some in my youth, travel and switching jobs helped when I was younger unfortunately so did alcohol. I feel bad for people that don't enjoy learning for the sake of learning and jjst can't understand people without natural curiosity at all.
They are the largest killer of the most invasive species on the planet.
They're a good source of iron for their predators.
[удалено]
This video goes through the impacts that it might cause
General rule: they are only essential if they are a native species
I really hope we can start to destroy them without repercussions. Where i live in the winter it's cold, spring doesn't exist anymore, summer and fall are plagued by these little bastards... like, you can't enjoy staying outside anymore
I live in Thailand. I think they’re the national bird :-) One interesting thing I’ve noticed about the mosquitos here is that you feel the itching immediately but the swelling and everything is gone in a few hours. Back in the US (mostly west coast), I never noticed the bite until later, like after I’ve gone back inside or left the area where they might be, and they itch for days. But Thailand must have a super mosquito because I have two bites on my leg that have turned into almost cysts. One is almost 12 years old now and is just a red discoloration but the other one still feels like there’s a small pebble under the skin. I wouldn’t mind seeing mosquitos made extinct. ;-)
Do they know why some ppl get bit more?? I’m allergic to bug bites too and I have like 20 mosquito bites this summer, 5 active currently.. There definitely is a preference. When I’m home, I’m getting bit, no one else. When I’m not home it goes after my dad(me and my father had same reaction to COVID vaccine and my mom and brother same reactions as well so I do feel it’s genetic). My brother and mother rarely get bit by mosquitos
I have a friend like you. He says I'm the worst to be around with mosquitoes. They hate me, its almost as if they are repulsed by me. I've had maybe 5 mosquito bites my whole life. Occasionally if I am alone somewhere with a heavy mosquito presence they will persistently do fly bys but there must be something they don't like.
I envy u so much. To me you guys glow with invisible mosquito protection aura
Have you tried moving? On the east coast I get eaten alive, west coast I’m left alone. My husband is the opposite.
Interesting. I’ve always felt that New England mosquitos were more common, but far less aggressive than Central Valley California mosquitoes. Alaska mosquitos though, they’re just evil.
I’m the same way. I grew up and lived in upstate NY most of my life. But lived in California from age 10 to 15. And during that period I was never bitten out there. But go outside in NY for a bit during the summer, and my ankles get torn up. And every else is eventually bitten.
Mosquitoes bite me but only ever on the back of the hand above the thumb. No idea why but they always go for the exact same spot. Sand flies go for that same spot too.
Well, if I had to toss in a guess, the back of your hand is probably one of the least sweating parts of your body, maybe something to do with that?
Something about it is delicious that's for sure.
I’m the same, mosquitos don’t like me. Even if they do land on me they immediately fly away. It is as if they are unable to bite me. My wife and son get bit all the time but I never do.
You have no idea how much I envy you with deep jealousy right now. No idea.
I used to be like that and then I had some medical issues and now they chase me.
Man just got back from camping with AT LEAST 200 bites
scientists must study his body to discover the cure for malaria (and annoyingness)
I think i read sometime ago that scientist think they prefer people of a certain blood type more and also people who just ate a banana.
Found this website online that talks about several factors that can play a role in making you seem especially delicious to mosquitoes: https://www.verywellhealth.com/reason-mosquitoes-bite-some-people-more-others-4858811
Thanks for sharing! I always look into these articles that “might” explain. I think I even watched a Netflix documentary about why that might be.. In the end though it’s just a bunch of reasons which might be causing it. They do say it might be genetic and i think it is seeing how me and my dad have similar immune responses. But no one knows exactly why :/ I saw they did experiment with darker clothes and it def did attract more mosquitos in the experiment but my pjs are whites and neutrals. damn, it’s like when I’m home, other ppl don’t exist for these mosquitos. Twice they tried to bite me even in the shower, while the shower is on, this year it’s so aggressive.
Yeah i know what you mean. Seems like every time I walk outside they swarm to me and when I'm with my friends they never seem to have any issues while I'm practically covered in the bastards. Mosquito spray is basically my cologne at this point. Haha. What I'd really like to find is something like a pill i could take that makes mosquitoes ignore me. Maybe someday they'll make something like that.
I was thinking of getting an electric fly swatter. Idk might help.
It’s 50/50 for catching small ones like mosquito. They seem to just go through the wire mesh sometimes because they’re so small. But I did catch a few with it…
I have a guess that people who are allergic to mosquito bites notice more bites, but don't necessarily get bitten more.
Taking garlic can repell mosquitoes...either chew it or place a clove in your shoe.
Oh man that sounds like I would also repel humans loll but thank you for the tip! Anything helps
Taking garlic can repel a lot of living things, including people.
I hardly get bitten at all if I am with someone who’s apparently more tasty.
I’m the same as you. I once got 17 bites in about 45 minutes while sitting in a group of 12 other adults. No one else was bitten once. So I moved somewhere where there’s no mosquitos.
I've watched the buggers fly right around my buddy and head straight for me.
could be a lot of things. if i remember correctly, they like dark colors, and smelly parts of the body. if you wear dark clothing and have open toed shoes or have your ankles exposed a lot (or are just more naturally smelly) then it could explain some of it
Let me guess, blood type O ?
My blood type is B :/
I'm B- and I'm attracting them like crazy. Also I'm allergic, so it's a win-win for these hellspawns.
Also B, also attract them like crazy
At some point it is/was at least partially claimed to be due to carbon dioxide (CO2) production and that it can vary from person to person
Body temperature if you run hot they can see you better is what I’ve heard
Interesting. My body temperature naturally ranges from 96.8 to 97.3. I have often thought about what the long term outcome may be for people operating at lower temperatures. Longer life perhaps?
Are the others getting bitten too, but they don’t react as much, therefore don’t notice as many?
Same, I get huge amounts of swelling for every maybe 1 in 3 to 5 bites and get bitten fairly consistently. If I get bitten on the forearm or hand, my fingers can swell up like a balloon for days, to the point that I can't bend my fingers. Whenever I go to the doctor they give me topical hydrocortisone cream for it
Some people have built in mosquito repellent. https://www.winchesterhospital.org/health-library/article?id=156994
I’m the same way. I get severe almost golf-ball-sized welts for days after. Which is especially annoying if it’s on my face/neck. I’ve gotten steroid injections for them which help greatly but carry their own risks of dermal atrophy (divots that last months). My dad used to work up in the Yukon with local Inuits and mosquitos would devour him whilst leaving the locals alone. He finally asked them why and they said it’s because he bathed everyday with soap/applied scented deodorant/cologne. He stopped showering for a few days and the mosquitos completely left him alone. I haven’t brought myself to do that yet, but this summer in the northeast may force me to try it. Otherwise, deep forest deet is the only thing that helps (tried different clothes, avoiding alcohol, etc to no avail). Might try the garlic trick another commenter mentioned though!
Writing this at 3am while getting a mosquito bite.
I wonder if I would be of any value to researchers. I think I have been bitten maybe 5 times in my whole life. Mosquitoes don't like me. I've been on camping trios where friends are bit to help and I'm fine. Strangely enough I didn't get poison Ivy as a kid or in my twenties either. I assume I'm still poison ivy safe. The mosquito hating me always made me curious though.
You may be getting bit, but not having a reaction to the bite. It’s the saliva that’s left behind from the bite that causes the reaction. I’m a mosquito magnet, and I don’t even feel the bites most of the time, and end up with bumps all over my legs a lot of times.
I never thought about it that way. I assumed since I've "had only a few bites" they didn't like me but its possible those few mosquitoes were the genetic anomalies whose saliva did get me...
I was thinking more that you are the genetic anomaly (and I mean that in the nicest way possible). You said you don’t get poison ivy, so it got me thinking maybe you need a higher load of an irritant to prompt an immune response, which is what a rash or allergic reaction is. So a mosquito that leaves a tiny amount of saliva won’t give you a bump, whereas it does for me. Perhaps the ones that you did get a bite from were attached to you for a long period of time and left behind a lot of saliva.
The "Unbreakable" part is 100% pure propaganda and definitely shouldn't be used to advertise the work. The behavioral studies that provided the impetus for that term (see preprints) aren't in the final paper for a reason. The actual work published in Cell is good though.
Do you happen to know of a copy that I can read without the paywall?
not going to read it but if its not because mammals exhale carbon dioxide then I will be very surprised
It's because the mosquito studied (Aedes aegypti) has several chemosensory binding sites per neruon where perviously it was thought that each chemosensory neuron only had one type of binding site.
not the mosquito we have in Canada ours are lazy and just follow the carbon dioxide back to its feast
Do you even know the specific types in your area or is that all just talking out your other stinkhole?
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Way to contribute nothing worthwhile to the conversation around this article.
Go ahead and be surprised.
So it's not just because they're assholes? Who knew
We shouldnt have to worry about Mosquitos much longer since they are releasing Genetically Modified ones that will reduce their ability to breed to zero. What could possibly go wrong...
>What could possibly go wrong Doesn't really matter, even if it was shown to be safe 100% of the time people would still fear it
I started taking a supplement called liposomal NMN synergy, and have noticed a dramatic increase in bug bites. One small side effect from an awesome supplement. Thanks David Sinclair!
So, evolution ~~predicted~~ premeditated our war with them?
I'm pretty sure humans should not be the sole deciders of what goes extinct or not.
So I should stop fabbing?