Without mosquitoes, there would be no chocolate
Published: Sunday, Jul 14th 2024, 13:20
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After the floods this summer, mosquitoes have spread rapidly. There is even talk of a mosquito plague at Lake Constance. But why do these creatures bite us at all? And what do mosquitoes have to do with chocolate? The most important questions and answers.
DO MOSQUITOES BITE SOME PEOPLE MORE THAN OTHERS?
Yes, certain people are preferred by mosquitoes. However, it is not true that this is due to the "sweet blood" of mosquito victims, as is often claimed. There are studies that come to the conclusion that mosquitoes have a preference for a certain blood type. However, the studies do not agree on which blood group. For example, some studies show that blood group 0 is particularly popular with mosquitoes, while others conclude that mosquitoes have a clear preference for blood group B.
The situation is clearer when it comes to other factors: Insects are attracted in particular by the carbon dioxide that is exhaled when breathing. Some people exhale more of the gas than others: People with a large lung capacity, for example, overweight people or children with a very active metabolism. Mosquitoes are also attracted to certain components of sweat. People who sweat more are therefore more attractive to mosquitoes.
The color of clothing and body temperature also play a role. Mosquitoes recognize dark clothing better, so they fly at people with appropriate clothing more often. Mosquitoes are more likely to bite when body temperature is high. People who play sport, people who drink alcohol and pregnant women are therefore bitten more often.
WHY DO MOSQUITOES BITE?
First of all: Not all mosquitoes bite humans. Only the females are responsible for mosquito bites. This is because mosquitoes actually feed on plants. While the males are content with this, the females need proteins so that the eggs can mature. They therefore bite humans in order to obtain the protein-rich blood.
WHY DOES A MOSQUITO BITE ITCH?
A mosquito bite itches due to a reaction of the immune system to the mosquito's saliva. When a mosquito bites, it injects a small amount of saliva into the skin to thin the blood and prevent it from clotting so that it can suck blood more easily. The mosquito's saliva contains substances that are recognized by the human body as foreign bodies. The immune system recognizes these foreign substances and reacts to them. This reaction leads to the release of the messenger substance histamine, which is responsible for the itching.
WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?
A cold compress or an ice pack can reduce the swelling and relieve the itching. Certain ointments and tablets can inhibit the messenger substance histamine and thus reduce the itching. It is also important not to scratch. Scratching spreads the histamine even further in the tissue, making it itch even more. It can also open a wound, allowing dirt and pathogens to enter.
HOW DANGEROUS ARE MOSQUITO BITES?
In our latitudes, most mosquito bites are harmless. In warmer regions, however, the bloodsuckers can transmit diseases such as malaria, dengue and yellow fever. As a result of climate change, mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue are also increasing significantly in Europe. The tiger mosquitoes that transmit dengue fever have already migrated to Switzerland. However, the disease has not yet been transmitted in this country.
COULDN'T THE MOSQUITOES SIMPLY BE ERADICATED?
Even though mosquitoes often seem useless and annoying, they play an important role in the ecosystem. They are an important food source for birds, bats, frogs and fish. Some mosquito species are also important pollinators of plants.
In the tropics, for example, bearded midges are the only pollinators of the cocoa tree. So without mosquitoes, there would be no chocolate.
©Keystone/SDA
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