Things you might not know about Mosquitos(a.k.a Mozzies)

Why Mozzies Must die!
Because they buzz in our ears when we sleep, suck our blood and give us that irritating itch. A shark might bite you in half, lions can tear you limb from limb and a snake can inject you with a toxin that will leave you a quivering mass in minutes, but none is as irritating and as numerous as these pesky creatures. By the way, do you know that more people die from the bite of this lowly lower than low lifeform than all the above creatures put together. Below are just some of the diseases these scums can give:
1)Dengue fever- 50 and 100 million cases worldwide
2)Rift Valley fever - Primarily an animal disease that can cross over to humans, and can result in an inflammation of the brain and surrounding tissue or haemorrhagic fever.
3)Canine heartworm-worms deposited from mozzies enter the bloodstream where they multiply till they infest the heart or lung arteries, ultimately resulting in death if untreated.
4)Encephalitis - acute inflammation of the brain
5)Yellow fever - just know that you can die from it.Period.
6)Elephantiasis - parasites deposited by mozzies that ultimately clog up your tissues and lymphatic systems leaving one grotesquely swollen. See left.(Purposely made smaller so that your lunch is still intact.)
7)Malaria - predominantly in the tropics. Ultimately coma/death if untreated. ( needless to say)
8)Blemish - very common. You get bitten. You itch. You scratch.You get scarred.

Mosquito Hotspots to Take Note Of When You Travel (Check with your doctor the available vaccinations to take)
Did you know? Like people, mosquitoes do display dining preferences which explains why some unfortunate people get bitten more frequently than others. This is due to the unique body odour which is distinct and different for each human.
If you want to be more attractive to mosquitoes, do the following:
1)Try perspiring as much as possible. Human sweat contains volatiles such as lactic acid and ammonia which attract mosquitos.
2)Stay in a place with high humidity where you will increase your chances of being bitten.
3)Wear dark coloured clothings.
4)Make more movements than the people around you. Mosquitos will sense your movement and zoom to you.
5)Pant more (Do loads of exercise).The smell of carbon dioxide from your heavy breathing draws them to you.
6)Get pregnant or get large. Pregnant women produce a greater-than-normal amount of exhaled carbon dioxide, similar to large people.
7)Put on loads of perfume or aftershave. Generally, mosquitoes do get attracted to such stuff.
8)Go out often to mosquito infested areas during dawn or dusk. Mosquitoes are active during these times of the day.
If you want to be less attractive to mosquitoes, do the following ( in addition to doing things opposite from the above):
1)Use an insect repellent. Make sure you use according to instructions as large amounts may be harmful to health especially when ingested.Duh...Do not apply to cuts or open wounds too...Duh.
2)Plant plants that repel mosquitoes such as the following around your home. But you are travelling, so maybe you can lug around cut flowers and look like a hopeless romantic.
-Lemongrass
-Chrysanthemum
-Marigold

3)Wear insect repellent clothings. Check out http://www.insectshield.com/. With extra baggage weight being charged more by airlines and restrictions imposed on liquids, investing in these types may be a good ideas.

4)Wear long sleeves shirts and long pants. Long sleeves shirt to be tucked into the pants.
5)Use mosquito nets when sleeping.
6)Use Citronella candles or smoking coils, but you will have to stay in the plum of the smoke to stay protected. When travelling, stay downwind of the candles or coils and follow the wind direction constantly...if you can. Just joking.
7)Stay at least 1 mile radius from their breeding site as they don't like to travel further than that. I prefer to remove the breeding site though.
8)Rear a bat and bring it with you on your travels. Make sure you train it well, so that it flies back to you.
References: www.bbc.co.uk, Today Newspaper ( Singapore Print)