Mosquitoes are a nuisance to humans, constantly biting and leaving itchy welts behind. Their incessant buzzing drives people crazy when trying to sleep or relax outdoors. While mosquitoes may seem fearless as they constantly attack us, the truth is that mosquitoes do have fears of their own.
Mosquitoes Fear Bats
One of the top predators of mosquitoes are bats. A single bat can eat thousands of mosquitoes per night. Bats use echolocation to detect mosquitoes by the sound of their wings beating. When a mosquito is detected, the bat swoops in quickly and gobbles it up.
Studies have shown that just the presence of bats in an area can reduce mosquito numbers dramatically. The mosquitoes can sense when bats are nearby through their high-pitched echolocation calls. Mosquitoes have been observed quickly fleeing an area when bats are detected. Their rapid escape demonstrates how mosquitoes have evolved to fear bats as a survival mechanism.
How Bats Hunt Mosquitoes
Bats use echolocation to hunt mosquitoes by emitting high-frequency calls and listening for the echoes that return from objects in their path. Mosquitoes produce echoes as they fly around from the rapid beating of their wings. Bats can pinpoint mosquitoes precisely based on these echoes and expertly pluck them right out of the air using their nimble flight skills and sharp claws.
Certain bat species have developed hunting strategies specifically for targeting mosquitoes. Hoary bats and red bats fly low to the ground and hover over swarms of mosquitoes to feast. Spotted bats catch mosquitoes over water sources. Free-tailed bats emerge early when mosquitoes are most active.
With evolution, mosquitoes have learned that the presence of bats at dusk is a cue to take cover. This allows more mosquitoes to evade predation by bats and is an innate protective behavior.
Mosquitoes Avoid Predatory Insects
In addition to bats, mosquitoes must avoid becoming dinner for many predatory insects. Dragonflies, damselflies, and predaceous diving beetles all hunt mosquitoes in their aquatic larval stages. Water striders lurk across the water’s surface waiting to grab mosquito larvae.
As adults, mosquitoes fall prey to predator insects that also fly. Lacewings are skilled at catching and eating mosquitoes mid-flight. Predatory yellow jacket wasps sting and paralyze mosquitoes to take back to their nests. Flower flies mimic mosquito appearance but do not bite, thus deceiving birds and other predators.
Defense Mechanisms Against Insects
Mosquitoes have developed strategies to try to avoid being eaten by predatory insects at every stage of life. Mosquito larvae thrash violently when disturbed to escape threats. They also release chemicals into the water that warn other mosquito larvae of danger.
Adult mosquitoes rely on stealth and sneaky tactics. Their slender bodies and muted colors allow them to hide amongst vegetation to avoid unwanted attention. Mosquitoes fly low and close to the ground to stay concealed. They are also fast flyers capable of escaping approaching predators.
Mosquitoes avoid heavily wooded areas and fields where predatory insects thrive. Instead they stick closer to human dwellings where their enemies are fewer. Mosquitoes’ fear of insects keeps them on high alert and drives them to hide near humans.
Mosquitoes Steer Clear of Predatory Fish
For mosquitoes, bodies of fresh water present a risky environment with predatory fish lurking below. Fish love to feed on mosquito larvae and are adept at spotting them in shallow water. Mosquitoes have evolved to avoid setting up nurseries in fish-inhabited waters.
Fish That Eat Mosquitoes
Many fish species prey on helpless mosquito larvae in ponds, lakes, and wetlands. Top minnows live up to their name as a voracious predator of larval mosquitoes. Mosquitofish are another small freshwater fish introduced around the world specifically to control mosquito populations.
Larger fish like koi and trout happily snack on mosquito larvae. Even jumping fish like mosquito fish will leap out of the water to snatch an adult mosquito in mid-flight! Fish of all sizes recognize mosquito larvae as an easy and nutritious food source.
To avoid becoming fish food, female mosquitoes are careful to lay eggs in temporary water bodies without fish. Many mosquito species prefer small containers of stagnant water like flower pots, buckets, or tree holes that are unattractive to fish.
Mosquitoes Avoid Open Areas Without Hiding Places
Since mosquitoes make a tasty treat for birds and other insect-eaters, they rely on hiding to stay safe. Mosquitoes tend to shun open fields, prairies, and other exposed areas during daylight hours where predators can easily spot them.
Where Mosquitoes Hide Out
Mosquitoes stick to areas that provide ample vegetation cover such as forests and areas with dense shrubbery. Long grasses and reeds around marshes also allow mosquitoes to conceal themselves.
During the day, mosquitoes rest in dark, humid spots. Hollow trees, caves, and other shelters serve as refuge. At night mosquitoes take advantage of darkness for protection and come out to seek warm-blooded hosts.
By hiding in protected areas, mosquitoes can avoid birds, bats, and other mosquito-eaters that hunt by sight. Their fear of being out in the open motivates them to vigorously seek shelter.
Mosquitoes Dislike Moving Air
Mosquitoes strongly prefer stagnant, still air over windy conditions. Even a gentle breeze can blow mosquitoes off course and make it challenging for them to land on hosts. Brisk winds force mosquitoes to take cover within vegetation.
How Mosquitoes Fly in Wind
A mosquito’s tiny body mass and long, skinny legs are easily tossed about by moving air. At wind speeds above 1-2 mph, mosquitoes struggle to make headway and can get blown off track.
To cope with some wind, mosquitoes fly close to the ground by floating just above the surface. Here the air is slightly calmer, allowing them to maintain control. Mosquitoes also fly with the wind at their backs to stay on course to hosts.
By hiding out during windy intervals, mosquitoes conserve energy and avoid the risk of being carried away or driven into objects. Their strong aversion to moving air causes mosquitoes to lay low until perfectly still conditions return.
Mosquitoes Dislike Smoke
Smoke is effective at driving away mosquitoes because they strongly dislike its odor andVisibility osquitoes depend heavily on their sense of smell to locate warm-blooded hosts nearby. The strong fumes from smoke overwhelm their smell receptors making it hard to detect carbon dioxide and other human scents.
Smoke Repels Mosquitoes
The particulate matter in smoke obstructs mosquitoes’ vision and ability to navigate through the air. Dense smoke causes disorientation by blocking their sight of hosts and objects to avoid. The tiny particulates also irritate mosquitoes’ eyes.
Campfire smoke is particularly bothersome to mosquitoes. Certain woods like cedar release insect-repelling compounds when burned that deter mosquitoes. The scent of the smoke sticks to skin and clothing, masking human odors to make people much less attractive to mosquitoes.
To escape the nuisance of smoke, mosquitoes will quickly flee an area at the first sign of fumes. Their aversion prompts them to escape to clearer air, providing an effective means of repelling mosquitoes in the backyard.
Mosquitoes Avoid Repellents
Mosquitoes have an innate fear of DEET that causes them to steer clear of this common chemical repellent. Certain natural repellents derived from plant oils also trigger avoidance behaviors in mosquitoes.
DEET Repels Mosquitoes
DEET is considered the most effective mosquito repellent on the market. It works by blocking the chemical receptors mosquitoes use to detect human scents. To a mosquito, a person wearing DEET becomes almost imperceptible.
DEET also smells unpleasant to mosquitoes, acting as an olfactory repellent. Mosquitoes instinctively avoid the harsh chemical odor associated with DEET.
In addition, DEET is an irritant that overwhelms mosquitoes’ sense organs, interfering with their ability to hone in on hosts. The combination of effects makes DEET-covered humans invisible, offensive, and intolerable to mosquitoes.
Natural Repellents
Certain natural oil extracts also effectively repel mosquitoes, without the harshness of DEET. Oils from lemon eucalyptus, soybean, and citronella plants have a strong aroma that overwhelms mosquitoes’ sense of smell to block host detection.
The potent odor of these plant oils is annoying to mosquitoes, forcing them to flee the area to escape the smell. Compounds in these oils may also interfere with mosquito feeding behaviors.
Whether chemical or natural, mosquito repellents take advantage of mosquitoes’ vulnerabilities and fears. Avoidance of these smells is ingrained in mosquitoes, causing them to instinctively steer clear.
Mosquitoes Avoid Extremes of Heat and Cold
Mosquitoes thrive best at relatively warm temperatures and high humidity. Excessive heat causes mosquitoes to become lethargic and take cover. Dramatic cold also decreases mosquito activity and survival.
Effects of Temperature Extremes on Mosquitoes
Hot summer days with temperatures exceeding 100°F are dangerous for mosquitoes. Their small size causes them to rapidly overheat, especially without moisture. On very hot days, mosquitoes will remain hidden in cool, shaded areas.
Prolonged cold snaps or winter temperatures below freezing are deadly to mosquitoes. The cold immobilizes them and disrupts their metabolism. Mosquitoes that don’t find shelter will die off after just a few consecutive days of very cold weather.
To avoid heat and cold stress, mosquitoes hide out in temperature-moderated microclimates. They stick to the undersides of leaves, buried within grass clumps, or tucked inside manmade structures.
Mosquitoes Dislike Citronella
Citronella is a natural mosquito repellent derived from lemongrass plants. Mosquitoes strongly dislike the scent of citronella, causing them to avoid areas where it is present.
How Citronella Repels Mosquitoes
Citronella has a strong, lemon-like aroma that overwhelms mosquitoes’ sense of smell. This prevents them from detecting nearby hosts to bite. The intensity of citronella odor essentially jams mosquito scent receptors.
Additionally, mosquitoes are believed to just plain dislike the smell of citronella. The aroma is harsh and uninviting, prompting mosquitoes to escape and find odor-free areas to frequent instead.
Both citronella candles and citronella-based sprays, lotions, and oils will effectively repel mosquitoes. Avoiding this plant scent is an instinctive behavior driven by mosquitoes’ dislike of citronella.
Mosquitoes Avoid Lavende
The strong scent of lavender triggers mosquitoes to steer clear. Both the smell of lavender plants and lavender oil are offensive to mosquitoes and other bugs, making lavender an effective natural repellent.
Using Lavender as Mosquito Repellent
Lavender plants release aromatic compounds into the air that overwhelm mosquitoes’ sense of smell. With scent receptors disabled, mosquitoes struggle to locate humans and animals nearby to bite.
Dried lavender can be burned or rubbed on skin to release mosquito-repelling vapors. The potent fragrance forms a barrier that obscures human scents. Lavender oil can also be applied directly to the skin to camouflage you from mosquitoes.
Additionally, mosquitoes seem to inherently dislike the lavender fragrance itself. The strong smell likely assaults mosquitoes’ sense organs, spurring them to escape and find relief from the overpowering odor.
Mosquitoes Avoid Breezy, Windy Conditions
Mosquitoes strongly prefer stagnant, still air over windy conditions. Even a gentle breeze can blow mosquitoes off course and make it challenging for them to fly and land properly. Brisk winds force mosquitoes to take cover.
How Mosquitoes Fly in Wind
A mosquito’s tiny body mass and delicate build causes it to be tossed about easily by air currents and winds. Wind speeds above just 1-2 mph can make it very difficult for mosquitoes to handle.
To cope with some wind, mosquitoes fly close to the ground where the air is slightly calmer. This allows them to maintain better control. Mosquitoes also typically face into the wind when flying to stay on track.
By hiding out during gusty conditions, mosquitoes avoid wasting energy fighting winds and also steer clear of being swept away or smashed into objects. Their aversion motivates them to lay low until the air is perfectly still again.
Conclusion
Although mosquitoes seem to attack humans fearlessly, they do have their own fears and aversions that guide their behaviors. Mosquitoes work hard to avoid predators like bats, birds, fish, and predatory insects. They are repelled by smoke, strong odors, and temperature extremes.
Understanding what deters mosquitoes helps explain why they congregate in certain areas and fly close to the ground. Their instincts for survival and reproduction underlie mosquitoes’ patterns of activity. While we can’t eliminate mosquitoes completely, exploiting their fears and deterrents can at least help reduce their nuisance.