Bad Guy Bugs – The Northern House Mosquito

When you are covered in mosquito bites after a long day outside under the hot summer sun do you ever wonder which species of mosquito bit you? Was your answer no? Well, don’t worry. You’re among the majority. Most people tend to lump all mosquitos together into one group when they’re thinking about avoiding their bite while outside. But, if you catch one of the diseases they carry, you might then want to know which species bit you. Specific mosquito species carry different illnesses. Not all mosquitos are created equal.

The Northern house mosquito has a rounded abdomen and is a dull brown color. These guys are pretty flexible when it comes to what they’ll eat. They don’t generally discriminate, happy to munch on humans, mammals, and birds. It’s the birds that they catch West Nile virus from before they pass it on to us. They tend to lay their eggs in small ditches and shallow ruts containing dirty water.

West Nile virus is now endemic throughout the lower 48 states, and has caused the deaths of over 1,700 people in the U.S. Most people that catch the virus don’t experience any symptoms at all, but it can cause flu-like symptoms.

DO you know anyone that has caught West Nile virus? What are you doing to protect yourself from mosquitos this summer?