Aedes Aegypti Mosquito

The Aedes Aegypti Mosquito

Aedes Aegypti Mosquito is one of the most serious mosquito species because it is the carrier of the life-threatening Zika virus. Besides Zika, the Aedes Aegypti Mosquito is also known for transmitting the dengue virus, chikungunya virus and yellow fever virus. Broadly it is also known as the yellow fever mosquito and is widely spread in the tropical and subtropical regions.

This article will give you a basic understanding of the dangerous Aedes Aegypti Mosquito and its characteristics; this will aid you in avoiding contact with this harmful species.


HOW TO IDENTIFY AEDES AEGYPTI MOSQUITOES


Appearance

yellow fever mosquito, how to get rid of mosquitoes

Yellow fever mosquito (Aedes Aegypti)

The Aedes Aegypti Mosquito is a small and dark colored mosquito. On average this mosquito is around 3-4 mm long. It is easy to identify this mosquito because of its distinct body structure. On the dorsal side of the thorax, there is a lyre-shaped marking, whereas it has banded legs having visible white stripes.

Behavior:

Aedes Aegypti Mosquitoes, or yellow fever mosquitoes, are an aggressive mosquito species that attacks its victims in daylight. They prefer to feast on human blood; therefore they live in close proximity to humans and regularly invade houses to find new targets and resting places.

They hide and rest in dark places in the house, like in wardrobes, under the bed or sofa, in quiet dark rooms, in open containers and even on dark clothes.

Like most types of mosquitoes, only the female Aedes Aegypti Mosquito bites humans as it needs blood to produce eggs, whereas their male mosquitoes feed on plant nectar.

Signs

The Aedes Aegypti Mosquitoes look quite similar to other less harmful mosquitoes, it’s difficult to recognize them to the naked eye. If a mosquito bites you indoors and in the daytime, mostly around dawn and dusk (4-6 am & 4-6 pm), there is a great chance that it is an Aedes Aegypti Mosquito.

Aedes Aegypti Mosquitoes habitually bite people indoors and they are extremely quick flying around swiftly, therefore it’s hard to catch them. Moreover, their favorite hiding place is under furniture and typically bites the target on the foot or around ankles. Their bites usually go unnoticed as aren’t very painful, just itchy later.


HOW DO YOU GET ACROBAT ANTS


The favorable habitat of Aedes Aegypti Mosquito is quite similar to that of Asian tiger mosquito and it includes all such places with high humidity level. Therefore places having even small quantity of standing water in your home are enough to invite Aedes Aegypti Mosquito.

Stagnant water in your garden, rain gutters, water barrels, flower pots filled with water, even small quantity of water standing in small containers like in discarded bottles and cups is enough to attract Aedes Aegypti Mosquito and provide them ideal place to breed.

 


HOW TO GET RID OF AEDES AEGYPTI MOSQUITOES


Get rid of standing water:

The most important step to eradicate Aedes Aegypti Mosquito from your premises is to get rid of all sort of standing water in and around house. Look for proper drainage and remove humidity as much as you can because stagnant water is a heavenly place for them to breed.

Apply repellents:

Always apply mosquito repellents containing DEET to keep them away from your skin, especially if you are going out for a walk or for a game.

Keep on Protective gear:

Wear light colored clothes and long-sleeve shirts and pants. When going out, tuck your pants into your long boots to minimize the chances of mosquito bites.


Facts About Aedes Aegypti Mosquitoes


  • Aedes Aegypti Mosquito get attracted towards humans because of the carbon dioxide they exhale and sometimes because of their perspiration and dark clothes.
  • Aedes Aegypti Mosquitoes can travel to larger distances and the maximum they can fly in their lifetime is less than 400meters.
  • When the Aedes Aegypti Mosquito bites a person infected with Zika or dengue virus, it picks up the virus and then transmit it to the other person it bites later. If there is no infected person around, the virus won’t spread among other people.

Related Articles

[catlist name=”mosquitoes”]