If you’re anything like us, chances are you love to spend summer evenings out on the patio. Whether you’re grilling up some grub for dinner or relaxing on a lounge chair and enjoying the beautiful night sky — nothing beats spending time outdoors.
That being said, there is one itty bitty nuisance that we could totally do without: Mosquitoes.
Arguably the most annoying insect on the planet, skeeters are classified as a two-winged fly with more than 3,500 species that roam the earth. At best, these buzzing pests are nothing short of a nuisance, with their crazy-making hum that can keep even the soundest of sleepers swatting at their face all night.
At worst, mosquitos carry and transmit life-threatening diseases, such as zika, malaria, and dengue, contributing to more than one million deaths each year. The troubling catalog of fatal illnesses spread by these flying disease-delivery vehicles is an ever-expanding thing. And along with vector-borne diseases, the bloodsucking vampires and their diabolic long mouthparts offer no shortage of red itchy welts.
Despite how horrible mosquitoes are, the truth is that they’re just a part of life, particularly in the summertime. They are constantly crashing the party during backyard barbecues, camping trips, hiking excursions, and so on.
To eliminate your risk of being a meal for these icky winged beasts, there are many things you can do, such as removing still water from your yard, wearing one of our all-natural Mosquito Repellent Patches, and avoiding dark clothing.
Many folks also do their best to keep the lights off at night due to the fear of attracting mosquitoes. However, the truth is that the bloodsucking bugs don’t really care for light. Yup, it’s true: despite what many people may think, most mosquitoes aren’t attracted to light.
Interested in learning more? The Natural Patch Co. has your back!
Read on to discover everything you need to know about mosquitoes and their lack of love for light.
But First, What Attracts Mosquitoes to Humans?
Let’s kick this thing off by talking about what mosquitoes are attracted to, shall we?
As everyone knows, the little bloodsucking vampires feed on the nutrient-rich blood of humans and animals. So, with that in mind, it makes perfect sense that the creepy crawlies have impeccable tracking skills honed to help them find us.
To do this, skeeters use a variety of senses and can pick up on body heat and the delicious smell of human sweat more than 30 feet away. Unfortunately, the hungry insects are also attracted to CO2, which we tend to emit in large quantities every single time we breathe out.
What Happens When Mosquitoes Find Us?
The first thing you should know is that not all skeeters are created equal, as it’s only the females who suck blood. Male mosquitoes are on an all-nectar diet — in fact, they don’t even have the mouthparts to suck blood. Females, on the other hand, have a long needle-like mouthpart designed to feast on our flesh to nourish her body and prepare to lay eggs.
When a female lands on you, her senses allow her to find just the right spot to pierce your skin where she can then snack on your blood. The mosquito then injects saliva that prevents blood clotting and numbs the area, so you don’t feel the bite. When her belly is full, she will fly away, leaving her saliva behind. This is when your body takes over.
You see, the bug’s saliva is seen as a foreign substance that causes your body to attack it, resulting in an allergic reaction... aka, a relentlessly itchy red welt. While it can take many days for the itching to subside, with our Itch Relief Magic Patches, you can experience relief in as little as 30 to 60 seconds.
So, Are Mosquitoes Attracted To Light?
During the day, the buzzing pests tend to avoid light and prefer quiet shady areas because they will dehydrate quickly and die in bright sunlight. The majority of mosquitoes are the most active in the morning and the evening when sunlight is low. This activity cycle is called crepuscular, but there are also diurnal mosquitoes that are common as well. So, these bugs are quite difficult to outrun.
Like most nighttime bugs, mosquitoes aren’t drawn closer to light — nor are they repelled by it. They do, however, use light to help them navigate through places, but the winged beasts don’t see light the way humans do.
Mosquitoes navigate by angling themselves in relation to the moon and stars to travel from one point to another. Artificial light, on the other hand, is much closer in proximity, making it difficult for them to maintain a good angle for clear navigation, often leaving them dazed and confused.
What the icky insects are really attracted to is carbon dioxide, body heat, and sweat. This is how they locate their food (aka, us).
Hold Up — Does This Mean Bug Zappers Don’t Work?
We don’t mean to be the bearer of bad news, but yes.
Bug zappers kill winged pests by the thousands. But there’s a problem: they kill the wrong bugs. These popular devices work by emitting a powerful UV light that attracts insects to the center, where they’re electrocuted and burnt to a super-satisfying crisp.
While they are commonly used to kill mosquitoes, many studies show that skeeters are just not interested in light. Sure, it might kill a few disoriented bloodsuckers that accidentally take a wrong turn to fry-city, but truth be told, they won’t really help if you’re dealing with a mosquito infestation.
The Best Way To Keep Hungry Mosquitoes Away
Mosquitoes are icky. They carry scary, life-threatening diseases and leave behind red welts that can itch for days.
During the summer, when the bloodthirsty vampires run rampant, you might be tempted to head indoors as soon as the sun goes down. And we don’t blame you — just the thought of a long-legged creepy-crawly perching on our skin is enough to send a shiver down our spine.
However, there is so much summer fun to be had in the evening, from bonfires at the beach to flashlight tag with the kids. Rather than calling it quits for the day when the bugs start biting, protect yourself and your little ones with BuzzPatch.
Using the most effective but safe, kid-friendly essential oils, BuzzPatch is designed to confuse mosquitoes and hide your kids from their senses. And unlike topical bug sprays that contain gross chemicals like Picaridin and DEET, our all-natural mosquito repellent patches are not only super easy to apply but friendly to the environment!
Made with you and your precious kiddos in mind, these fun sticker patches emit a particular scent that makes kids virtually undetectable to mosquitoes. Perfect for all of your outdoor adventures, don’t let the little bloodsucking vampires put a damper on your fun — one patch is all you need to say goodbye to mosquitoes, the natural way.
Sources:
Fighting the World's Deadliest Animal | CDC
How Mosquitoes Use Human Sweat To Find And Bite Us : Shots - Health News | NPR.
