The Small but Pesky Mosquito Bite

Ah the pesky mosquito bite. This little insect really is an extreme pest. The buzzing of a mosquito can seem relentless. Whether you’re outside enjoying the fresh air or trying to get some sleep, one mosquito can quickly change the mood. It’s actually quite amazing how one small tiny little insect can cause us so much grief.

There is an entire industry built around mosquitoes. Scan the shelves of your local grocery store and you’ll see a wide range of mosquito repellent, citronella candles, and many mosquito bite remedies.

Mosquito bites do carry what feels like a powerful punch. This is why we want you to know all you can about these tiny little bugs and be ready to walk tall and put some swagger into your mosquito defending skills.

Where Do Mosquitoes Live?

Pretty much wherever you live, you’ll come face-to-face with the pesky mosquito.

Mosquitoes live everywhere, except in extremely cold environments. So if you really want to get away from mosquitoes, the North or South Pole might just be two places for you! Mosquitoes prefer to live in wet marshy areas that feature tall grass and weeds. This damp environment is ideal for nesting. Living in the southeast, we know it sometimes feels as though the mosquitos outnumber the humans.

Because mosquitoes prefer warm air, they are most active and present when the temperature is above 70 degrees. This is why they seem to arrive on that perfect summer day when you’re enjoying a summer picnic or an invigorating hike in the woods.

Essentially, mosquitoes thrive in warm damp areas. Think of your rain barrel, the deep ditches along the road, tall grass growing in damp ground, and in anything that can collect and hold water.

What You Need to Know about Mosquito Bites

Interestingly, mosquitoes don’t actually bite us… Instead they pierce our skin to get at the blood just under the surface of our skin. When this happens, we feel a sharp pain and typically a red itchy bump appears. This red itchy bump is actually an allergic reaction and not caused by the mosquito.

Mosquitoes use sophisticated heat sensor on their antennae to locate the capillaries under our skin and then insert their long pointed mouth (proboscis) into the capillary. The proboscis has two parts - one which injects mosquito saliva into our skin (the saliva has a mild painkiller so that we don’t notice the “bite”) and the other part which draws in your blood. 

As soon as our body notices the mosquito bite, it responds by sending histamine to the location of the bite. It is this histamine that cause the redness and itchiness. Interestingly, each of us reacts differently to these mosquito bites. Some of us have a heightened response and some of us won’t even notice a mosquito bite.

To make things more intriguing, mosquitoes aren’t attracted to all of us. Scientists are learning that mosquitoes are drawn to people based on odor and other bodily compounds. Mosquitoes respond to people who produce excess amounts of uric acid or anyone who has the byproducts of cholesterol or steroids on their skin. There is still lots of research to be done in this area, but it does explain why some people seem to never get bitten by mosquitoes.

We don’t want mosquitoes to take the fun out of your outdoor activities and enjoyment of your community. Like us, you likely don’t want to be spraying yourself and your kids with chemicals.

If you are bitten, make sure you have your Bug Bite Thing handy and you’ll be able to walk tall, show some swagger and buzz back. Remember the Bug Bite Thing is suction with attitude. It invites venom to leave your body with an offer it can’t refuse.

Bug Bite Thing is your best friend, your pal for life, your venom defender. In two easy steps you can:

1. Shrug off the mosquito bite.
2. Place the pump on the bite area with lever down (closer to your skin). Pull the lever up and hold for 30 seconds. Repeat at least once. If you need more, it's OK to repeat multiple times.

The next time you're outdoors, make sure you have your Bug Bite Thing with you and don't let bites from mosquitos slow you down.