adminHow does a mosquito look? The first way to identify a possible infestation area is by first knowing what a mosquito looks like. Here you can learn to identify your pest. There is high possibility of being attacked by mosquitos or at least one in spring or summer season. But how do you know it’s a mosquito? There are several other flying and biting pest flying around your neighborhood, which means it might not be so easy to identify a mosquito. Knowing the real identity of a mosquito as well as other biting pest would help know for sure what bit you. Below are a few tips that would help you identify mosquitoes
What are the physical features of a mosquito?
Mosquitoes possess two wings just like the flies. Their body is covered with scales resembling hairs and they possess long proboscis for feeding. The mouth part is what makes up the proboscis and it used for the for sucking of fluid. The specie of a mosquito determines its color. Some such as the northern house mosquito have a dull brown color with a whitish stripe over across the abdomen. The yellow fever mosquito is identified by the whitish spots on its legs. The Asian tiger mosquito has a combination of white and black across its legs and body at large. The four commonest types of mosquito in the U.S are the three mentioned above including the southern house mosquito.
What is the size of a mosquito?
The average size of an adult mosquito is between quarter and half an inch. Most times the crane fly which has a similar look with mosquitoes and is mistaken for a giant mosquito.
What then is it if not a mosquito?
There are various kinds of insects which are similar in appearance with the mosquito such as the crane fly which is otherwise 
known as midges, mosquito hawk or mayflies. Crane flies are larger in size than the mosquitoes and they don’t bite. Light catches their attention and they are wrongly thought to be giant big-sized mosquitoes. Just like the mosquitoes, the breeding place of mayflies is in water however they are not harmful. Certain types of gnat and the midges when spotted in swarms are mistaken for mosquitoes.
What quantity of blood does a mosquito consume?
An average female mosquito only sucks blood of about 1-4 millimeters as against the misconception that it consumes a large amount of blood. This quantity is about four times the bodyweight of the mosquito, but when compared with the amount of blood in the body of an average adult it is just a drop. The male mosquitoes feed on nectars and fluid from various plants hence only the female survives on blood meal.
Since you now know few tips to identifying a mosquito, always stay on the lookout for these insects around your property. You might want to contact a professional pest control personnel for help if there is a large amount of mosquito around your home.
