At best, mosquitoes can be a real nuisance, leaving itching bite marks and keeping us awake at night. The irritation caused by the bites can be quite distressing particularly for children. At worst, mosquitoes transmit a range potentially fatal diseases. In India, the most prominent diseases spread by mosquitoes are malaria, dengue and Chikungunya as well as Japanese B encephalitis.

The risk of mosquito-borne diseases is especially high in humid areas. In the more arid regions of India, mosquito infestation commonly peaks during and after the annual monsoon rainfalls. In the more tropic and humid regions, the peak of mosquito activity normally falls into the summers when high temperatures fasten the reproductive cycle of mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes have been in existance since the dinosaur era which is 400 million years ago.

They are found close to still water, where their larvae feed and develop.

They seem to be attracted to dark colours.

Mosquitoes will normally bite you at dawn or dusk – mostly nocturnal. That’s when their internal clocks tell them it is feeding time.

Mosquitoes are attracted to heat and they find lactic acid alluring thus would tend to bite people who had just exercised.

Bigger people tend to attract more mosquitoes because they produce higher Carbon Dioxide and lactic acid.