Mosquito Fun Facts

There are more than 3,000 species of mosquitoes.

A mosquito weighs 2.5 milligrams (0.0025 grams).

A mosquito flies at a speed of 1 to 1.5 mph.

Mosquitoes live up to 6 months.

A mosquito beats its wings 300-600 times per second making the mosquito buzz sound.

A mosquito has 47 teeth.

A Mosquito Bite

A mosquito biting

Myth or Fact? Mosquitoes eat blood.

The above statement is a myth. A mosquito diet does not include blood!

Why do mosquitoes need blood? Only female mosquitoes bite—they need protein from the blood for their eggs. The mosquito diet is sugar from plants, not blood.

When a mosquito bites, she uses two tubes: one is an enzyme tube to prevent blood from clotting and the other to suck blood.

Why does the bite itch? The mosquito bite does not cause the itchy bump on the human skin—it is the mosquito saliva that causes it.

Mosquitoes can smell exhaled carbon dioxide and body odors of humans from up to 70 feet away.

Beer drinkers attract more mosquitoes.

Fun Facts about Other Animals