Common Name:	Mosquito
Size:	1/4 inch
Shape	Narrow, oval
Colour	Pale brown with whitish stripes across abdomen
Legs	Yes
Wings	Yes
Antenna	Yes
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Family:	Culicidae
Species:	Various

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Mosquitoes are small flying insects, and they are experts in finding people and bite them and infect millions of people all over the world.

They cause many diseases like malaria, dengue, yellow fever to spread and transmit diseases from one person to another. Due to this, over one million people worldwide die from mosquito-borne diseases every year.

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Diet:

Mosquitoes do not bite. Female mosquitoes feed on plant nectar and blood. They need the protein to reproduce. To get to the blood, they pierce our skin with their “proboscis” and suck our blood. Male mosquitoes feed exclusively on plant nectar. Mosquitoes are busiest at night and will fly up to 14 miles for a blood meal. They hunt for food by detecting body heat and Carbon Dioxide, the gas we breathe out.

Habitat:

They breed in soft, moist soil or stagnant water sources such as storm drains, old tires, children’s wading pools and birdbaths.

Impact

Spread of diseases such as West Nile Virus, malaria and dengue fever.

Prevention

1. Replace all stagnant water at least once a week.
2. Remove trash from around any standing water.
3. When sleeping outdoors or in areas where mosquito populations are heavy, surround your bed with “mosquito” netting.
4. Screen windows, doors and other openings with fine mesh.
5. Avoid going outdoors at night.
6. Use insect repellent containing DEET on exposed skin anytime you're around mosquitoes. DEET doesn’t kill them. It just disorients them and they look elsewhere for food.