Johnsons - A Family Company
United States - English
  • Argentina - Español
  • Australia - English
  • Brazil - Português
  • Canada - English
  • Canada - Français
  • Colombia - Español
  • Costa Rica - Español
  • Ecuador - Español
  • El Salvador - Español
  • France - Français
  • Germany - Deutsch
  • Guatemala - Español
  • Honduras - Español
  • Indonesia - Indonesian
  • Italia - Italiano
  • Mexico - Español
  • Nicaragua - Español
  • Panama - Español
  • Peru - Español
  • Philippines - English
  • Poland - Polska
  • Russia - Russian
  • Spain - Español
  • United States - English
  • United States - Español
  • Uruguay - Español
Brand
  • product
      OFF!® Deep Woods®

      OFF!® Deep Woods®

      OFF!® FamilyCare

      OFF!® FamilyCare

      OFF!® Defense

      OFF!® Defense

      OFF!® Botanicals®

      OFF!® Botanicals®

      OFF!® Active®

      OFF!® Active®

      OFF!® Backyard

      OFF!® Backyard

      OFF!® Clip-On™

      OFF!® Clip-On™

      view all products/collections


      browse & compare products

  • inspiration
    • family fun
    • outdoor activities
    • home and garden
    • event planning
    • travel
    • view all from inspiration section
    • Featured Content

      Don't Get Bugged When You Travel

      A Family Staycation in Your Own Backyard

      Don’t Make These 7 Outdoor Entertaining Mistakes

  • education
    • health
    • insects 101
    • active Ingredients
    • FAQs
    • view all from education section
    • Featured Content

      Zika Virus: What You Need To Know

      Lyme Disease: What You Need To Know

      West Nile Virus: What You Need To Know

  • coupons
Share
Home • Education • Insects 101 • 5 Surprising Facts About Mosquitoes

5 surprising facts about mosquitoes

Did you know that only female mosquitoes bite?

Hey, who invited these pesky mosquitoes to the party? Turns out you did, through no fault of your own. You’re simply irresistible to the little villains. But what do you really know about these unwelcome intruders, other than that they can leave you with itchy, red welts?
  1. Only Female Mosquitoes Bite

    There are about 3,500 species of the little vampires, and they can be found in virtually every part of the world. But not all mosquitoes look upon you as a delicious meal. While both male and female mosquitoes feed on nectar and plant sap as their nutrition source, only female mosquitoes need blood for egg production.

  2. Mosquitoes Prefer Darker Colors

    Black might be slimming, but if you're trying to avoid mosquitoes, best to opt for lighter-colored clothing as they can be attracted to darker colors.

  3. Mosquitoes Do Prefer to Bite Some People Over Others

    If you keep getting bit while those around you don’t, it may be because the flying pests are attracted to the body chemistry of some people over others. Chemicals such as carbon dioxide, which is emitted when you breathe out, and lactic acid, an element found in sweat, attract mosquitoes.

  4. A Full Moon Makes Mosquitoes More Active

    Werewolves, zombies… and mosquitoes? Yep, the full moon can be blamed for many strange occurrences both real and imagined. Scientists have never actually seen a real-life zombie, but they do know mosquitoes exist— and that a full moon can increase mosquito activity 500 percent!

  5. Mosquitoes Need Only One Tablespoon of Water to Breed

    Mosquitoes prefer to lay their eggs in still or stagnant water or wet earth, and they only require a small bit of water to do so. In fact, for development, the immature stages of some types of mosquitoes only need a tablespoon of water to breed, an amount that can easily collect in old tires, children's wading pools, holes in trees, bird baths, saucers underneath plants—even a bottle cap.

related content
how to correctly apply insect repellent

how to correctly apply insect repellent

7 myths and facts about deet

7 myths and facts about deet

picaridin: what it is and how it works

picaridin: what it is and how it works

related products
OFF!® FamilyCare Insect Repellent II (Clean Feel)

OFF!® FamilyCare Insect Repellent II (Clean Feel)

OFF!® Active® Insect Repellent I

OFF!® Active® Insect Repellent I

browse & compare products

Find the right product for when you're itching to get back out there.

coupons

Saving you from mosquitoes while saving you a bit of money too.

our story

For over 50 years it’s been our goal to help protect your time outside.
  • Drano
  • Glade
  • Kiwi
  • Off!
  • Pledge
  • Raid
SCJ Signature
  • Scrubbing_Bubbles
  • Shout
  • Windex
  • Ziploc
  • Our Company
  • Our Ingredients
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Notice
  • Terms of Use
  • Sitemap
©   S. C. JOHNSON & SON, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Logo_SCJ