Mosquito.The name itself strikes fear in most of us and makes us begin to itch and cringe but, did you know there are benefits of having the mosquito among us? The mosquito plays a very important role in our ecosystem. To a variety of different animals mosquitoes are a primary source of protein in their diet. The beautiful dragonfly consumes mosquito while in the nymph stage. Lizards, spiders, fish, other insects and bats also eat mosquitoes. Many insect-eating birds, such as the Purple Martin are prodigious consumers of the mosquito.
Mosquitoes are also key pollinators. Mosquitoes actually don’t need our blood for food their nutritional needs are met primarily by ingesting flower nectar. The blood they steal from us with their painful bite is actually used to provide protein for the female mosquitoes eggs during development, this is why only the female mosquito bites. Not having the mosquito around would leave many flowers without a pollinator, and in some cases a predator without prey.
Mosquitoes have been on earth for 100 million years, and are a part of our biology and our ecosystem. Some researchers ponder a world without mosquitoes. Would the niche they leave from being eradicated heal? Some experts say that the world would recover, for the better without the annoyance, painful bites and diseases the mosquito spreads. For the moment wiping out the entire classification of the mosquito species seems pretty far off, but with the advancements in pesticides and science we are getting closer each day to the prospect of this actually happening. For now, all we can do is exercise our knowledge in preventing disease and destruction caused mosquitoes.
Even though it might be good to keep these little buggers around, that doesn’t mean we have to “share the pain”. The best way to keep mosquitoes out of your yard is to mist your yard. Enlisting the help of a licensed professional and exercising common sense can help you avoid the mosquito on your own turf. While the negative outweighs the positive when it comes to mosquitoes, it is good to know they aren’t always on the prowl for our blood, in some cases they are the hunted instead of the hunter.