July, 2004
Publisher, Evelyn Underwood
All rights reserved
Privacy Policy:
You are receiving this ezine because you subscribed to it. We value
your privacy and will never ever share, sell or distribute your email in any way. Promise. You may unsubscribe
at any time.
Unsubscribe info is at the bottom of every mailing.
Contents 1 Editorial
2. Ads.
3 Feature Article
4
Sites for more information
5 Reader Feedback
6 Did you Know quick fact / Question
7
Goodies and Treats
8 Contact and Subscribe Information
Editorial Welcome
to all new subscribers and Thank You to all my readers.
You really are appreciated. It has been extremely hot for
a couple of week now. We really could use some rain. Last week a humming bird flew into a window. It lived with
us for about 30 hours We thought it would recover as it was taking sugar water from an eye dropper and seemed quite
lively. Never before have I held a wild humming bird.
It has gone from this earth but not from my heart or memory.
Ads
All
ads must comply with the guidelines, policies and laws of the Federal Trade Commission (
http://www.ftc.gov ). We retain the right to edit or refuse any and ALL types of ads. We encourage
responsible advertising and marketing
through substantiation and documentation of all claims made.
No hate, racial, spam, illegal, or adult related content
permitted
F*REE Text Ad to over 900,000 Valued Readers
Get your business in front of prospects No Cost
Please use "Did You
Know " as Your Referrer
http://subscribeme.net/index.html
EVEN THE ODDS! Online Lottery Prediction System
Give Lady Luck a helping hand with our state of the art lottery
prediction
service. Our proven system uses historical data and statistical analysis to improve your odds of picking the winning
ticket.
The results are phenomenal and our customers are delighted with their winnings! Turn your dreams into reality
today at:
http://www.westcoastlottery.com
* Need content? You may use this article at your website, or in your newsletter. The only requirement is inclusion
of the following sentence: Article by Evelyn Underwood - Publisher of Did You Know Newslettter where you can discover
amazing facts and features of every day subjects we often take for granted.
Mosquitos
The word "mosquito" is Spanish for "little fly," and its use dates back to about 1583
in North America (Europeans referred to mosquitoes as "gnats"). On a world wide basis there are about 3000 species.
Thank goodness, they are well distributed. Approximately 150 species live in North America. New Jersey gets first
prize as the mosquito state for hosting 63 species.
Only the ladies bite.
Mosquitoes belong to a group of insects that requires blood to
develop fertile
eggs. Males do not lay eggs, thus, male mosquitoes
do not bite. The females are the egg producers and "host-seek" for
a blood meal. Female mosquitoes lay multiple batches of eggs and
require a blood meal for every batch they lay. Few
people realize
that mosquitoes rely on sugar as their main source of energy. Both
male and female mosquitoes feed on
plant nectar, fruit juices and
liquids that ooze from plants. The sugar is burned as fuel for flight and is replenished
on a daily basis. Blood is reserved for egg
production and is imbibed less frequently
Don't breathe
Mosquitoes can sense carbon dioxide and lactic acid up to 100 feet
(36 meters) away.
Mammals and birds gives off these gases as part
of their normal breathing. Certain chemicals in sweat also seem to
attract
mosquitoes (people who don't sweat much don't get nearly as many mosquito bites).
Visual sensors - if you are wearing clothing that contrasts with the background, and especially if you
move while wearing that clothing, mosquitoes can see you and zero in on you. It's a good bet that anything moving is "alive",
and therefore full of blood, so this is a good strategy.
Heat sensors
Mosquitoes can detect heat, so they can find warm-blooded mammals and birds very easily once they get close enough.
How long do mosquitoes live?
Mosquitoes are relatively fragile insects with an adult life span that
lasts about 2 weeks. The vast majority meet a violent end by serving as food for birds, dragonflies and spiders
or are killed by the effects of wind, rain or drought.
The mosquito species that only have a single generation each year are longer lived and may persist in small
numbers for as long as 2-3 months if environmental conditions are favorable.
Mosquitoes that hibernate in the adult stage
live for 6-8 months but spend most of that time in a state of torpor. Some of the mosquito species found in arctic regions
enter hibernation twice and take more than a year to complete their life cycle.
Mosquitoes Need Water:
All mosquitoes have four stages of development-egg, larva, pupa, and adult
They spend their larval and pupal stages in water. The females of some mosquito species deposit eggs on moist surfaces, such
as mud or fallen leaves, that may be near water but dry. Later, rain or high tides reflood these surfaces and stimulate the
eggs to hatch into larvae.
The females of other species deposit their eggs directly on the surface of still water. The eggs hatch into larvae. In
the hot summer months, larvae grow rapidly, become pupae, and emerge one week later as flying adult mosquitoes.
A few important spring species have only one generation per year. However, most species have many generations per
year and their rapid increase in numbers becomes a problem.
Welts
Why do mosquitoes leave welts when they bite? When a female
mosquito pierces the skin with
her mouthparts, she injects a small amount of saliva into the wound before drawing blood. The saliva makes penetration
easier and prevents the blood from clotting in the narrow channel of her food canal. The welts that appear after the
mosquito leaves is not a reaction to the wound but an allergic reaction to the saliva injected to prevent clotting. In most
cases, the itching sensation and swellings subside within several hours. Some people are highly sensitive and symptoms persist
for several days. Scratching the bites can result in infection if bacteria from the fingernails is introduced to the wound.
Attractive
Why are some people more attractive to mosquitoes then others?
Scientists are still
investigating the complexities involved with mosquito host acceptance and rejection. Some people are highly attractive
to mosquitoes and others are rarely bothered.
Mosquitoes have specific requirements to satisfy and process many
different
factors before they feed. Many of the mosquito's
physiological demands are poorly understood and many of the processesthey
use to evaluate potential blood meal hosts remain a mystery.
Female mosquitoes use the CO2 we exhale as their primary cue to our location. A host seeking mosquito is guided to
our skin by following the slip stream of CO2 that exudes from our breath. Once they have landed, they rely on a number of
short range attractants to determine if we are an acceptable blood meal host. Folic acid is one chemical that appears to be
particularly important. Fragrances from hair sprays, perfumes, deodorants and soap can cover these chemical cues.
Dark colors capture heat and make most people more attractive to mosquitoes. Light colors refract heat and are
generally
less attractive. Detergents, fabric softeners, perfumes
and body odor can counteract the effects of color. In most cases,
only
the mosquito knows why one person is more attractive than another.
Winter
Where do mosquitoes go in the winter? Mosquitoes, like most insects, are cold blooded
creatures. As a result, they are
incapable of regulating body heat and their temperature is
essentially the same as
their surroundings. Mosquitoes function
best at 80o F, become lethargic at 60o F and cannot function below
50 F. In
tropical areas, mosquitoes are active year round. In
temperate climates, adult mosquitoes become inactive with the onset
of cool weather and enter hibernation to live through the winter.
Some kinds of mosquitoes have winter hardy eggs and hibernate
as
embryos in eggs laid by the last generation of females in late summer.
The eggs are usually submerged under ice
and hatch in spring when
water temperatures rise. Other kinds of mosquitoes overwinter as adult females that mate
in the fall, enter hibernation in animal burrows, hollow logs or basements and pass the winter in a state of torpor.
In spring, the females emerge from hibernation, blood feed and lay the eggs that produce the next generation of adults. A
limited number of mosquitoes overwinter in the larval stage, often buried in the mud of freshwater swamps. When temperatures
rise in spring, these mosquitoes begin feeding, complete their immature growth and eventually emerge as adults to continue
their kind.
Reducing
The most efficient method of controlling mosquitoes is by reducing
the availability
of water suitable for larval and pupal growth.
Large lakes, ponds, and streams that have waves, contain mosquito
eating
fish and lack aquatic vegetation around their edges do not
contain mosquitoes; Mosquitoes thrive in smaller bodies of water
in
protected places. Examine your home and neighborhood and take the following precautions:
Dispose of unwanted tin cans and tires.
Clean clogged roof gutters and drain flat roofs.
Flush sump-pump pits weekly.
Stock ornamental pools with fish.
Change water in birdbaths, fountains, and troughs twice a week.
Clean and chlorinate
swimming pools; when not regularly used,
they should be emptied.
Turn over unused wading pools and other containers
that tend to collect rainwater.
Cover containers tightly with window screen or plastic when
storing rainwater for garden
use during drought periods.
If mosquito breeding is extensive in such areas as woodland
pools or roadside ditches,
the problem may be too great for
individual residents. In such cases, call the organized mosquito
control agency in
your area. These agencies have highly trained
personnel who can deal with the problem effectively.
Sites for More information.
Reader Feedback
My name is Linda Offenheiser and I live in North Central Michigan, USA. I have
one husband, five kids, seven grandkids and two Labrador Retrievers. We live in a lovely rural area that's big
on trees and short on noise!
I've been working on the Internet for about two years and have learned a lot of
stuff the hard way ~ by making mistakes! I've learned that mistakes are really good things because they help us grow and expand
our knowledge.
One of the greatest benefits of the Internet is all the wonderful people you meet that otherwise would forever
remain strangers. The Internet doesn't have to be cold and impersonal as long as you have your own little community
of friends.
My business is Stress-Free Copy which is a copy writing and editing service for online entrepreneurs. I have great
fun with it! I also publish a weekly ezine called All the Write Stuff! That is a total labor of love.
I
love family, nature, dogs, blueberries and sunsets. I hate turnips, arrogance, cruelty and all biting insects!
That
about sums it up!
From Ethel Pierce
Thank you for your kind note. I have been with Momswin for
3 months and love it more every
day. The support is wonderful and the products are the absolute best in my opinion. Everything from personal care
to cleaning products. Even if I could not work the business I would remain a customer. I live in Pennsylvania, right on lake
Erie. I have recently become disabled and this business will eventually replace my lost wages.
I
will look forward to your newsletter. Again, thank you for your warm welcome.
Ethel Pierce
http://momswin.com/epierce
From New Zealand
Hi My name is Steve Coffey and I live in Mosgiel, which is a small town 10,000 people...New Zealand,
It's the gateway to a tourist location the southern lakes District..Queenstown known for it's skiing and birth place of bungy
jumping...
My wife Amber & myself are on Disability Pensions because
of serious motor vehicle accidents, seperate,
had them
each before we ever met.
To supplement our pension we have an Ezine..Lifepluz.
Kindest Regards Steve
& Amber
From Stephany Harper.
What a wonderful issue. I love hummingbirds. I used to put up
hummingbird feeders, but the yellow jackets drank more of the nector than the birds did.
I look
forward to your publication finding it's way to my inbox.
Best Wishes, Stephany
http://sunnydays4ever.comQuick Fact or QuestionDoes any one know the name of this symbol @ ?
Since 1850 the world population has increased 600%
Offers valuable information for writers. downloads, tutoritials and software at no cost.
5* rating in school
zone. well worth a look.
Thank you Mary Anne Hahn-Publisher
writesuccess@aol.com
Subscriber information
