Do Mosquitoes Die After They Bite You?

Do Mosquitoes Die After They Bite You?

It is a commonly held belief that certain bugs die after interacting with us. Even if the very act of stinging or biting us is not what kills them in the end, a well-timed swat could easily do it. Interacting with humans is an inherently dangerous prospect for most bugs, so it stands to reason that they would try to avoid it whenever possible.

In the case of blood-sucking bugs like mosquitoes, though, they have to interact with mammals to survive. So, the idea of avoiding us (or other mammals) is impossible since they need our blood to carry on their species.

If you have ever killed a mosquito while they were in the middle of biting you, you know that there are few feelings more simultaneously gratifying and gross. However, if you missed them during the bite, they would have flown away without a care in the world.

If mosquitoes died after biting us, it would be a righteous kind of vengeance that would make most of us feel quite vindicated. But unfortunately, the world does not work like that. If you want a mosquito to die because they messed with you, you are going to have to do it yourself.

With this in mind, let’s dispel some more myths about mosquitoes and replace them with the truth. Then, we’ll cover how to stop mosquitoes from biting our families once and for all.

Why Do People Think Mosquitoes Die After Biting You?

It is true that certain species of bugs do die after having specific interactions with people. So it stands to reason that we might get these bugs confused and start to attribute the flaws of one insect to another. We often think that all bugs are the same, but this could not be farther from the truth.

While some bugs do share distinct similarities, there are actually a grand total of 900,000 different kinds of insects roaming (or flying) the earth.

While that number seems high, it’s a very conservative estimate. Entomologists are constantly discovering new creepy crawlies.

With this vast number of bugs, there are going to be a lot of ways in which they are both similar and differ from one another. So-called “true bugs” are classified as having wings. Some of these bugs get their sustenance by drinking blood from mammals, while others get it through flowers and other plants.

It is essential to distinguish between different bugs in your mind, as this will help you when it comes to fighting them off. After all, what might be effective for keeping a mosquito away might not work for another kind.

Some bugs interact with humans to get food, while others will only do so if provoked. This brings us to our next subject of clarification.

What’s the Difference Between Bug Bites and Bug Stings?

Bug bites and bug stings can be easily confused. After all, they each end in discomfort due to an insect. Actually, these two processes are completely different and can serve totally different functions.

If we see a fly all up in our space, we are likely to swat at it without a second thought. The chances are that you think twice before swatting at a honey bee. We hesitate to attack bees because they have a built-in defense mechanism to protect themselves. Bees can sting, leaving behind an uncomfortable reminder of the occurrence.

Some people can experience minimal or even severe allergic reactions to bee stings due to their venom. Between five and 7.5 percent of people will experience a severe allergic reaction to a bee sting. This is more common than severe reactions seen from mosquito bites, but bee stings generally occur less frequently.

An insect sting occurs when a bug is trying to fight back, but this is not always the case for bug bites. It is true that some bugs will bite as a means of self-defense, but some of the most common bug bites happen for an entirely different reason. Unlike a sting, a bug bite can provide an insect with the food that they need to survive.

What Bug Species Die After Attacking You?

Even though the myth that bugs die after stinging humans is incredibly widespread, it only applies to a small number of insects. For example, you may have heard that bees will die after stinging, but even this is a large oversimplification. It is only honey bees who die after stinging.

Other kinds of bees have stingers that have adapted to human skin, but the honey bee cannot say the same. Honey bees have barbed stingers that can’t handle human flesh. As a result, their stinger gets stuck after attacking.

As the honey bee attempts to fly away, the stinger and part of its abdomen inevitably get left behind. The honey bee cannot survive without this necessary part of its anatomy and will die soon after.

We might not feel much sympathy for the bee who stung us, but we have to admit that this is a particularly violent way to go. Having part of your body ripped off is not very peaceful, especially considering that honey bees will only attack when provoked.

These bees are more likely to sting near their hive, as they could perceive you as a threat. Otherwise, honey bees do not usually attack when they are far away from their hive unless they are in severe danger.

When you consider all of this, honey bees suddenly feel like much less of a threat. This becomes even more true when you consider all of the good that bees do for our environment.

What Should You Do if You Have a Mosquito Bite?

For many of us, mosquito bites are an unpleasant but unavoidable reality. Yet, we might not always have the best habits for properly treating them. Kids and adults alike will feel the immediate urge to scratch, but it is crucial to avoid that instinct at all costs.

There is no doubt that scratching a mosquito bite is a relief at the moment, but it can have consequences long after that initial comfort. By scratching a mosquito bite, you are making the reaction worse. This irritates the area, making it more swollen, red, and itchy.

Not only that, but if you were to keep scratching at the bite repeatedly or scratch too hard, you could break your skin. This creates the perfect environment for the wound to become infected. If this happens, be sure to gently wash the area with soap and warm water immediately.

How To Identify a Mosquito Bite

If you are lucky enough to have not gotten many mosquito bites in your life, or if your little one has been bitten for the first time, you may have some questions. Over time, identifying a mosquito bite will likely become an art form, something that you can do almost immediately.

For now, though, you are wondering what sets this specific kind of bite apart from other bug bites:

First of all, try to remember when you received this bite. Mosquitoes can and do bite at all hours of the day and night, but they are more active during dawn and dusk. If you were bitten around this time, it could be more likely that a mosquito is to blame.

You can also identify a mosquito bite by its mark on your skin. Some bug bites will take hours or even days to appear on the skin's surface, but this is not the case for mosquitoes. Instead, a mosquito bite can appear as soon as a few minutes later. At first, the bite will typically appear as a raised white or red bump.

This bump might turn more red or even brown as time goes on. In particularly severe cases, there could even be bruising due to mosquito bites.

MagicPatch Itch Relief Patches

Whether you and your family are experiencing unpleasant itchiness due to a mosquito bite, or the bite of another insect, The Natural Patch Co. has options. Nowadays, going for harsh chemicals seems like everyone’s first instinct. However, as we established with scratching a mosquito bite, the first instinct is not always the best one.

There are many natural alternatives that work wonderfully to get rid of symptoms of itchiness. The Natural Patch Co. knows how important it is to provide all-natural solutions that work for you and your family.

That is why we created MagicPatch. Thanks to MagicPatch’s carefully-engineered Grid-Relief Technology, you and your kids will feel more comfortable safely, without a chemical in sight.

How Can You Keep Mosquitoes From Biting Your Family?

Feeling better after a mosquito bite is all well and good, but never getting one in the first place is even better. Simply apply BuzzPatch Mosquito Repellent Patches to you and your kids’ clothes, and let its natural essential oils get to work. These stickers are safe and effective for kids and adults, so the whole family can rock matching stickers while making the most of their time outdoors.

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Sources:

Numbers of Insects (Species and Individuals) | Smithsonian Institution

Bee Sting Allergy: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment | Medical News Today

Honeybees Die After Stinging, Why? | EarthSky

entomology | Definition & Facts | Britannica

Why bees are so important to the environment | Government of South Australia

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