Believe it or not, not all mosquitoes fee on people. Generally, the ones that go for people are female. In fact, some female mosquitoes need to eat a blood meal before they lay their eggs.
When a mosquito bites, it uses a long mouth tube, called a proboscis, to poke through you skin. Normally when your skin is broken, your blood begins to thicken, or clot, and form a scab. But the mosquito quickly puts some of her saliva into your body. This saliva keeps your blood from clotting. Then it’s easier for the mosquito to suck up your blood.
Mosquito saliva can carry diseases, such as malaria and West Nile virus. But there are things you can do to protect yourself. Pants and a long sleeved shirt can keep the bugs off you. Insect sprays also help keep the bugs and itch away.
The itch of a mosquito bite is not from the bug itself. It’s caused by your body’s reaction to mosquito saliva. Some people respond more strongly than others. This means they might be more allergic to the saliva. In fact, you might be thinking about allergies.
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"Why do mosquito bites itch?" was posted on Friday, August 10th, 2007 at 10:40 pm.
You feel the stab and slap the bug away. Too late. Another itchy bit will soon swell up.
When do you feel a mosquito bite?