Are mosquitoes good for humans? Slavic mosquito therapy

Mosquitoes are small blood-sucking insects belonging to the mosquito family.

mosquitoes have thin body 3-15 mm long, long legs and narrow transparent wings. The color is yellow, brown or grey. Wings are scaly. The abdomen consists of 10 segments. The thorax is wider than the abdomen. The paws have a pair of claws at the end. The mouthparts of mosquitoes are of the piercing-sucking type. In females, the proboscis is long and consists of piercing bristles, while in males it is without them.

The oral apparatus is located in the tubular lower lip, in which there are several jaws (lower jaws and upper jaws). With them, the mosquito cuts a hole in the skin, immerses it to the level of blood capillaries, and sucks blood through this tube.

Development and growth of mosquitoes

The development of mosquitoes is a complete cycle: egg - larva - pupa - adult. All phases of mosquito growth are aquatic. Eggs are laid in water. Mosquito breeding occurs in all kinds of water bodies: in stagnant and flowing, temporary and permanent. Mosquito eggs easily float on the surface of the water, not being afraid of rain or wind. In one approach, the female lays 100-150 eggs. The development time of mosquito eggs is determined by the temperature of the water and ranges from 30 hours to 9 days.

In urban conditions, the most favorable places for the development of mosquito larvae are damp and damp basements of houses. Adult mosquitoes live in the air. The life expectancy of a female mosquito in summer is up to one and a half months.

Mosquito feeding

Mosquitoes are blood-sucking insects. Interestingly, male mosquitoes feed exclusively on plant juices and water. Females, on the other hand, feed mixed: if possible, they feed on the blood of people and animals, and in their absence, plant juices.

The value of mosquitoes in nature

Mosquitoes are an essential element natural communities. There is a large number of animals and birds for which mosquitoes are food. Also, mosquitoes, like many other insects, whose larvae actively develop in aquatic environment, are one of the main reasons for the inexhaustibility of soils.

What danger do mosquitoes pose to humans?

Depending on the nature of the danger to humans, mosquitoes are divided into malarial (carry malaria) and non-malarial. Non-malarial mosquitoes are also carriers of many dangerous diseases, such as Japanese encephalitis, Karelian fever, West Nile fever, Dengue fever and others.

Of these diseases, malaria alone kills more than two million people a year. In addition, mosquito bites, as a rule, cause itching, the bite site itches for a long time, allergic reactions, etc. may get bored. And their subtle squeak (especially at night, when they are usually harder to kill by hand) - nervous excitement and insomnia.

From this we can conclude that mosquitoes pose a fairly real threat to people, and if their number exceeds reasonable limits, it is worth contacting specialists with this issue.

Mosquitoes are annoying insects, and there is hardly a person who will say that he loves them. Costs summer evening go for a walk, as you have to fend off the continuous attacks of these small, but surprisingly annoying creatures. And in hot countries, mosquitoes do pose a serious threat, as they are carriers of many unpleasant diseases, including the deadly dengue fever.

More than 3,000 species of mosquitoes live on Earth.
These insects appeared on the planet about 100 million years ago.
The length of the mosquito body is up to 12.5 millimeters. In the distant past, their size could be 5 centimeters.
The life of male mosquitoes lasts no more than two weeks, while females can live longer than a month.
Only female mosquitoes suck blood - they need blood plasma to bear offspring. Males feed exclusively on nectar and water, like butterflies (see).
During courtship games, male mosquitoes after sunset gather in a swarm in full view of the females. Medium sized mosquitoes are generally preferred because they can stay in the air longer.
The squeak, by which you can know in advance about the approach of a mosquito, is the noise from the fast flapping of the wings of an insect.
Wind is a problem for mosquitoes because their own weight is very small.
At the sight of representatives of the opposite sex, mosquitoes synchronize the flapping of their wings.
Scientists have found that mosquitoes prefer to bite more sweaty people. They choose their prey by the smell of her body and exhaled carbon dioxide.
Female mosquitoes are more likely to bite women than men, with preference given to blondes.
Mosquitoes travel from egg to adult in just 4 days.
In their entire lives, mosquitoes rarely travel more than a few kilometers from their birthplace.
Mosquitoes have infrared vision, which allows them to easily navigate in the dark.
These insects are so small that they can fly between raindrops for an average of five minutes (see).
Mosquitoes are a kind of "werewolves", on the full moon their activity increases by 500%.
Due to their low weight, mosquitoes are able to fearlessly roam the web without attracting the attention of spiders (see).
Male mosquitoes prefer not young, but older females.
Mosquito eggs can lie in the ground for several years until favorable conditions arise for their birth.
Mosquito saliva contains substances that anesthetize the bite site and thin the blood of the victim. They are the cause of severe itching after a bite.
According to scientists, in order to drink all the blood from a person, it would take about 1.2 million mosquitoes.
No matter how annoying mosquitoes are to their victims, it is impossible to completely exterminate these insects - this will lead to an ecological disaster. Although, for example, in Singapore, they finally got rid of mosquitoes (see).
Mosquitoes are carriers of many dangerous diseases, including malaria, hepatitis, yellow fever and encephalitis.
If a mosquito is hungry, it can travel up to 64 kilometers in search of food. They smell food at a distance of up to 50 meters.
An experiment conducted in the Canadian tundra showed that about 9 thousand mosquitoes bite a person with a naked torso and limbs per hour (see).
Unlike most other insects, mosquitoes have only one pair of wings.
Mosquitoes can walk on water.
In the Canadian town of Komarno, the world's largest mosquito monument is installed - the wingspan of the insect sculpture is 5 meters.

According to Zhvanetsky, only cockroaches are more disgusting than mosquitoes. A harmful midge with a sharp proboscis, “extracting” drops of blood from us, carries many diseases - malaria, all kinds of fevers, West Nile encephalitis, filariasis and exotic chukugun. As soon as the Sun sets, as in the forest, on the river bank, or on your own balcony, you can hear a thin, nasty squeak - these are mosquitoes out on a date, and at the same time hunting. They say that even taiga bears whine from them: at least break the whole muzzle with your paws, and at least something for the midges. mosquito bite it itches for a long time, unbearably annoying, but even more annoying is the thought that someone drank your blood with impunity. Destroy them all and be done with it!

It turns out that it is impossible, because mosquitoes are an important component of natural balance. These are the links of the system, which is called biocenosis, and if mosquito flocks disappeared from it, humanity would be very sorry. Firstly, northern birds feed on the larvae of these blood-sucking birds during nesting in the Arctic, and this is an important component of their food. Mosquitoes are not averse to profiting from frogs, fish and other small animals. Disappear these insects, and dozens of inhabitants of forests, swamps and rivers will be left without dinner.

Secondly, oddly enough, but a host of mosquitoes takes out of the swamp not only terrible diseases, but also tons chemical elements which are indispensable in nature. These are carbon, phosphorus, iron, calcium, nitrogen, boron, molybdenum, manganese - you can’t list everything. Insects are often the only transport of trace elements, without which natural vegetation will perish, and the man will remain on the desert land.

And, thirdly, mosquitoes still rendered a small service to people: by studying their saliva, which does not allow blood to clot, scientists created a similar drug, but only for useful purposes. True, in scientific experiments, in addition to mosquitoes, other bloodsuckers participated - leeches.

But why do mosquitoes need blood, because, as you know, they feed on plant sap? Mosquitoes need blood for the normal development of eggs, which are laid in great numbers in any stagnant water. If this offspring does not get to feed the fish (birds, frogs), then soon - on average for three days - young bloodsuckers will form from it, and the cycle will repeat.

We cannot and must not interfere with it by depriving nature of an element so necessary for it. Therefore, on summer evenings, we will continue to stock up on mosquito plates and various repellers and aerosols. And also console ourselves with the thought that our blood is not wasted, but will serve the noble cause of supporting the ecosystem. And, of course, we will not be afraid of giant mosquitoes, which for some reason are usually called malarial: here they don’t bite at all!

Image source: dlyaokon.by

Mosquitoes play an important role in nature in shaping the soil of the earth, and also serve as food for many animals and birds. Here is a description of the role of mosquito larvae in the natural food chain:
"Despite the trouble that blood-sucking mosquitoes cause to humans and animals, they are one of the most important components of our ecosystems, both aquatic and terrestrial. Mosquito larvae serve as food for many aquatic animals, including valuable commercial species fish. Adult mosquitoes are food for many terrestrial predatory invertebrates, such as spiders, snakes, dragonflies, etc., which are regulators of the number of various pests.

God! Well, how tired
Mosquitoes, midges and every vile thing!
Why did you create them, really?
I can't figure it out without you.
God, what good are they?
Only redness of the bite, itching.
They can only fly, crawl on the skin,
Spreading diseases is a strange job.
God, I beg you, explain to me
Help about mosquitoes to understand:
- How do I feel about this lot of ...?
And collapsed on the bed, exhausted.
I quickly fell into a deep sleep.
I dream that I am standing on the shore
Rivers. Suddenly flies, say mercy
Cloud of mosquitoes. Where will I run?
Surrounded all over, buzzing, swearing
That people are not bitten out of evil,
Everything will be told, served on a saucer,
They say that's how nature created them.
They need to reproduce somehow
Can't do without blood
This should not be surprising.
Without blood, the race will die out, this is life:
- We are not useless creatures,
God worked to create us, not in vain!
Let's start the evening safari
Wet dawn pleases us.
Meet us in the taiga by the pond,
In the swamp, in the city, in the village.
We are familiar with each frog,
It's more fun to live with us.
We serve as food for a feathered bird,
For bats, fat toads.
Man seeks to exterminate us,
Corrodes hatred and rust.
You don't have to relax with us.
We sometimes make history.
We are like a horse stuffed for Troy,
We reach the heights of life.
We find the victim by smell,
We are looking for a long time where to stick the needle.
There are many techniques for mosquitoes,
What a delicious way to bring blood to the table.
We bite the evil, the sick and the psychos.
If you are unbearable from us -
Swim, but bathe famously in the bath,
We will not notice your nakedness.
Do morning exercises
Bathe in the morning dew
Eat right and be healthy
Keep the body (but not all!).
Is our therapy out of favor?
Our God! What a passage for us!
Rub the place from the bite for a long time,
Getting a thorough massage.
Massage brings benefits only to you,
Relieving spasm in tight muscles
Unclogs the pores of your skin.
And put aside the sarcasm!
Just don't rush to slam us,
Send us the energy of love,
So arranged the fate of all the Arbiter,
We speak without prejudice.
And you yourself must honestly admit -
Mosquitoes must live in the world!
There are no useless species in nature,
We need balance!

They have neither poison nor anesthesia when bitten, only a chilling squeak. But still. It's no secret that some mosquitoes bite more, while others seem to be ignored. Why would it? Look at a mosquito looking for a place to bite - will it bite anywhere? Of course not. He searches for a long time and carefully for a place where to stick his needle. And by what parameters does he determine which place is suitable? Mosquitoes find the victim by smell, just like they are looking for the place that smells the most. And smells the best sore spot- there is a concentration of blood.

The famous yoga devotee Yogananda said that he was surprised when his teacher Sri Yukteswar was not bitten by mosquitoes, while all the students were forced to sleep with mosquito nets. And the bard from Tambov, Igor Lyubimov, who came to Kazan, told how he was amazed that his friend was basking in the sun, and butterflies and dragonflies landed on him, and only horseflies and mosquitoes landed on Igor himself. So, the first conclusion that can be drawn is that mosquitoes bite less good people in a calm state of mind, but prefer aggressive ones. Mosquitoes serve as the pointing finger of God and Nature, drawing the attention of a person to those mental problems that can cause physical ailment (which is expressed in the statement "all diseases are from the nerves").

But there is another point: after living for some time in a certain area, you begin to notice that mosquitoes bite less and less. Grandmothers explain it this way: "They have already eaten your blood!" This, of course, is not true. The number of mosquitoes is huge, and new ones appear every two weeks, they can not eat. But we can. Eating what has grown in the area, we are saturated with it. chemical composition, merge with the background and become invisible to mosquitoes, unless, of course, we have persistent mental and physical disorders. Mosquitoes protect the earth from the invasion of strangers and evil - oh, what good fellows! And a person who is fond of foreign food and generally irrational nutrition is pointed out to emerging sores before he himself feels them.

But also because mosquitoes stop biting, that a person, having completed a course of mosquito therapy, simply recovers. Mosquitoes cleanse clogged skin pores, and also improve blood supply to those parts of the body that do not receive enough nutrition due to spasm or muscle contraction (like we rub a bitten place - red hot - this is a massage!). And if in the language Chinese medicine- they clean the subtlest energy channels. And if we have already recognized the importance of Chinese medical practices and introduced the positions of acupuncturists in polyclinics, then we must also recognize their greatest professionalism for mosquitoes. No matter how thorough the diagnosis is carried out by the health worker - this is bookish, mental knowledge - he calculates where to stick the needle, and the mosquito directly feels it. But the energy channels have a thickness of a fraction of a millimeter and a very small slip can not stimulate the work of the heart, but rather depress the stomach. Moreover, in the channel that has already been cleaned, the mosquito will not bite a second time, while the acupuncturist, not having full information, will stick the needle into a properly functioning channel, and ruin everything.

Therefore, the next time a mosquito lands on you, do not rush to slam it - this is an ambulance of Divine help. Just take a breath and relax the place where it hurts, you can send the energy of Love towards it - it will pass through the diseased area and promote healing. And thank the mosquito for a free absolutely professional and effective acupuncture course. If your illnesses are so neglected that it is simply unbearable from a hail of bites - help the mosquitoes: take a steam bath, bathe, wallow in the dew, eat right, move more and more varied, eliminating the stagnation of energy. Your body will exude pleasant ethers, and mosquitoes will recognize you as the king of nature and will fly around, squeaking respectfully.

P.S. It is known that vaccinations against various diseases are made with the blood serum of people and animals who have recovered from illnesses, which contain weakened or even dead pathogens so that the body can develop antibodies to them and not get sick with a real infection. But this is exactly what mosquitoes do, transferring blood (in case of an unsuccessful bite) from one person to another. And they do it precisely in microscopic doses, carrying out universal preventive vaccination. True, some pathogens, such as those that cause malaria, have adapted this mechanism to their own purposes - this is an exception that proves the rule. After all, someone is allergic to mother's milk, but it is exactly what a child needs for life. In addition, no diseases transmitted by mosquitoes have been found in our climatic zone.

Mosquitoes do not cure the flu itself, but give information to weakened organs, which atmospheric phenomenon will have a greater effect and in what quantity this season, and the body makes adjustments and increases the supply of substances to the necessary organs, if the body is strong, then there is no need for mosquitoes to inform you.