Mechanism of sound appearance
The squeak of a mosquito is familiar to everyone - extremely thin, annoying, irritating.
Warns that at the slightest opportunity a bite will follow. It would be much more profitable for a blood-sucking creature to approach the victim silently, but the parasite cannot prevent the appearance of a special signal. It does not produce sound from the mouth or nasopharynx. What a mosquito squeaks is of interest to many. The sound comes from its wings, which it flaps with extraordinary speed. When it comes into contact with air, a sound similar to squeaking appears. A peculiar buzzing sound begins to be emitted immediately with the first flap of its wings.
Interesting!
Why mosquitoes do not buzz, like many other insects, also has its own explanation. The wings are extremely thin and narrow, and the mosquito itself is miniature in size. In blood-sucking creatures, special halteres, not wings, are responsible for balance in the air. Therefore, the sound is produced more by these parts of the body than by flapping the wings at high speed.
Mosquito squeak
What features does a fly have?
Buzzing is not the only characteristic of flies. They are very active, and their reaction is 10 times higher than that of a human. This is why it is quite difficult to catch an insect.
As for the body features, the fly has a very mobile head. This directly affects her reaction. On the head there are eyes with a complex structure. Each eye has about 3,000 small eyes.
Fertility is also worth noting. The female is capable of laying 600 eggs at a time. Scientists conducted a study and proved that a fly is capable of laying up to 2 billion eggs over the summer. This doesn't happen in real life. This is due to the fact that flies often die. There are many reasons why pests die. Most often they are:
- get caught in a web;
- become dinner for birds;
- die at the hands of man.
Important: flies are not only capable of annoying with their buzzing, but can also cause a lot of trouble to a person.
To prevent insects from annoying you with their buzzing, you need to get rid of them in a timely manner.
The nature of mosquito squeaks
Actually, the insect, which lives on all continents with the exception of Antarctica, does not make high-pitched sounds during flight on purpose. This is due to the peculiarities of physiology. The reason for the specific itching, and not the buzzing that larger insects emit, is the small size of the body and thin, narrow wings. For example, the flapping frequency of a large bumblebee, which buzzes almost in bass, varies from 120 to 250 Hz. Whereas in a mosquito this figure is already 1000 Hz! When flapping, wave-like vibrations of air occur, which diverge from the insect to a certain distance. It is these sounds that the human ear perceives as a squeak. At the same time, females squeak louder because they flap their wings more often compared to males. The younger the individual, the higher its squeak will be.
During the mating season, females attract males by squeaking: they catch the waves with the help of their sensitive antennae. Entomologists also believe that bloodsuckers make sounds to attract their own relatives, alerting them to danger or the presence of a potential food source. This is why an annoyingly squeaking cloud of mosquitoes soon forms near people who go out into nature: the insects are preparing for a meal and inviting fellow tribesmen to a feast
Humming tone
Every person, at least once in his life, has noticed that flies buzz in different ways. One is louder, the other is quieter. Biologists have conducted research and found that the tone of the buzzing is influenced by:
- Body size.
- Wing flapping frequency.
- The room in which the pest is located.
A large insect has larger wings. Therefore, they capture a larger area of air and a person hears the buzzing more clearly. For example, small midges cannot be heard because they are too small. A similar fact applies to all winged insects, with the exception of the butterfly. It is impossible to hear her waves.
The frequency of the wing flapping also plays an important role in tone. The faster the insect works with its halteres, the more the air vibrates.
A person most often pays attention to an annoying buzzing sound in an apartment or other room. If there are few things in the room, the sound made by the wings will be louder. The vibrating air diverges evenly, without fading when colliding with other objects.
Important: any fly can buzz while sitting on a window or other surface, that is, it does not have to fly.
This is due to the fact that she does not see the obstacle and is trying to take off. The same applies if the insect is injured.
Why do mosquitoes buzz?
A mosquito is a two-winged insect from the long-whiskered group. The bloodsucker has a thin body, ranging from 4 to 14 mm in length. It has narrow, colorless wings, as well as elongated legs.
On the head there is a proboscis and two antennae. The color is brown, gray or black.
Insects live everywhere except Antarctica. Bloodsuckers live in forests in humid areas. They are distinguished by fast flight, the speed of which is 3.2 km per hour.
Most insects buzz. But not many people know why the mosquito squeaks. It produces sound due to its small body size and thin, narrow wings, which are the dorsolateral appendages of the middle thorax, which are developed in a single pair.
The appendages are oval in shape and have straight edges. Posteriorly there is an alula and an upper calypter covered with hairs.
During the flight of the little bloodsucker, a high-pitched signal resembling a squeak appears. The buzzing of a mosquito is accompanied by a subtle sound, since the oscillation frequency of its wings is from 1000 Hertz.
For example, a bumblebee creates a bassier sound when flying. This is not surprising, because the flapping frequency of its wings is 130-240 Hz.
It is interesting that butterflies fly silently. This is explained by the minimum number of movements of their wings, which is 5-9 Hz. But one species of lepidoptera is considered an exception - the hawk moth. This butterfly is also capable of squeaking.
Females can squeak more powerfully than males. Therefore, people hear mosquitoes that flap their wings more often than males. Moreover, the younger the female, the higher she will squeak.
Scientists also claim that bloodsuckers make a high-pitched sound, notifying their relatives of impending danger or the presence of a food source. That is why a large number of insects gather near a person in nature.
And why are they buzzing?
Thus, the specific sounds of these blood-sucking insects perform several functions:
1. Communicate with each other through ultrasonic signals.
2. Females attract males for mating;
3. Ensuring balance when hovering in the air.
Of course, due to the ability to quickly rotate their wings, mosquitoes look like a kind of mini-helicopter. Which is useful when you need to hover in the air and carefully choose a more appetizing lunch and slowly, so as not to actively fight off the gourmet. And since you need to share with friends, including the coordinates of a juicy little man, snoring peacefully and unaware of the attack, then a vile buzz is indispensable for notification.
Larval development
The development rate of the young generation of mosquitoes depends on the water temperature. The optimal indicator is 15-20 degrees Celsius. The duration of development of larvae in the egg is from 40 hours to 8 days. They are born no larger than 2 mm in size. The body of the larva consists of a head, thorax, and abdomen. The future mosquito feeds on microorganisms in the water.
During the entire period of development, the larvae molt 4 times, constantly increasing in size. The cycle from egg formation to adult emergence lasts about 60 days. At the last stage of development, the larva turns into a pupa, shaped like a comma.
In the pupal stage, the mosquito develops from 2 to 5 days. During this time, serious changes take place inside. The pupa is extremely active, can go deep into the water, but periodically emerges to replenish oxygen reserves.
Upon completion of development, the mosquito breaks through the upper part, sticks out its head, then its chest. The last to be shown are the limbs. The body size of a regular mosquito is 4 mm. The insect is immediately ready for fertilization, so it begins an active search for a sexual partner.
Reason for the squeak
An unpleasant sound for humans occurs as a result of the flapping of mosquito wings. The pest is capable of swinging from 500 to 1000 times per second, and the Forcips species is the leader among mosquitoes - up to 2000 swings per second.
Air compactions and expansions form near the wings. Hence the unpleasant squeak. The fly flaps its wings more slowly, and therefore it produces a buzzing sound. The bumblebee is buzzing because... the swings are even slower than those of a fly. If mosquitoes were larger and flapped their wings more slowly, they would produce a sound that was louder than a squeak.
In young and adult females, the squeak produced by flapping their wings is different. Males recognize adult females by characteristic sounds and mate with them. At this moment, mosquitoes gather in a swarm. A large number of squeaking pests in a room can reproduce.
The mosquito is unable to produce a squeak using other organs or parts of the body. For a person, the advantage of the squeak made by a pest is that you can prepare for an insect attack and kill it before it tastes blood.
So, a mosquito squeak is just a sound made by its wings.
Females bite people, and males feed on nectar
This fact is already known to many, but we nevertheless continue to say that we were bitten by a mosquito, although only mosquitoes attack. Female mosquitoes need protein and iron for their eggs and must feed on blood to reproduce. Since males do not bear the burden of producing offspring, they avoid humans and feed on flower nectar.
When females are not laying eggs, they also happily consume flower nectar. By collecting nectar, mosquitoes pollinate plants, which ensures the reproduction of various plant species. When mosquitoes pollinate plants, especially aquatic ones (where they spend most of their lives), they help maintain those plants, which in turn provide shelter or food for other animals and organisms.
Mosquitoes are very sensitive to the odors released by our glands
Different mosquito squeaks
Initially, it seems that all mosquitoes squeak the same way, but if you listen, the sounds are different. Males create a hum and are not particularly annoying to the human ear. Since they are not interested in blood, they are seen much less often than females.
Females communicate using squeaks. They transmit messages to each other about the location of a potential victim and warn of danger. Females attract males for mating with a thin squeak and flap their wings more often than usual. After fertilization, the individual sits quietly on the sidelines for several days, digesting food. And also during this time eggs are formed. Laying is done in a couple of days in a standing pond.
On a note!
Mosquitoes are attracted to a person by the smell of lactic acid, carbon dioxide, and infrared color, which forms an aura around the body. As soon as one female discovers a victim, after a few minutes a person has to fight off a colony of annoying pests
Reproduction
The lifespan of mosquitoes depends not only on environmental conditions, but also on the sex of the individual. The female, under favorable conditions, can live 56 days. The young generation of mosquitoes is born after approximately 21 days. Initially, the males emerge, fly to the grass near the place where they lived as larvae, and wait for the females.
The active process of insect reproduction begins at the end of April, in May. Insects gather in flocks, fertilization occurs on the fly. Young females attract individuals of the opposite sex with a special squeak.
Mosquito breeding cycle
Within 10 days after fertilization, males die, females look for a victim to drink blood. This food source is necessary for the egg formation process to begin.
Having satisfied its nutritional needs, the insect looks for a place to lay eggs. This should be a body of standing water or a basement with running water. Less commonly, mosquitoes lay eggs in damp soil.
Inside the female, the young generation develops in about 3 days. Lays future larvae in groups or one at a time. Upon completion of this stage, the insect again looks for a victim to repeat the process.
What does a mosquito squeak?
Answering the question of what a mosquito squeaks with, experts say that the nasopharynx or mouth is not involved in this process. The squeak is created by wings fluttering at high speed. When they interact with air, a squeaking sound occurs. Moreover, the buzzing appears even with the first flap of the wings.
A thin squeak is produced due to the presence of narrow, thin and small wings of the pest. It is also allowed to squeak by special halteres located on its miniature body.
So, there are many reasons why a mosquito squeaks. The first factor is that bloodsuckers communicate with each other through ultrasonic signals, the second is that the buzzing sound appears during the frequent flapping of their thin and small wings.
Thirdly, the squeak occurs because the mosquito, while in the air, uses its halteres, which are responsible for balance and hovering. And females make high-frequency sounds to attract a male for mating or to repel him during pregnancy.
A mosquito can squeak for various reasons, but this ability is not entirely safe for the insect itself. After all, the victim hears that the bloodsucker is approaching, which allows it to often avoid an attack or even destroy the pest.
Life activity in early spring
Mosquito
Where mosquitoes come from immediately after winter with severe frosts is a mystery to some people. There is nothing special about this for specialists. With the onset of cold weather, fertilized females look for a secluded place for wintering. They climb into the cracks of outbuildings, houses, forest litter, and tree bark.
Mosquitoes overwinter in a state of suspended animation, but do not fall into deep hibernation. As soon as you bring the insect into a warm room, it immediately comes to life. In winter, insects live in damp basements, where the temperature does not drop below +12 degrees Celsius. However, reproduction activity is not so high. Only females can overwinter.
Why are ultrasonic repellers effective?
Simple devices have been used for several years to repel mosquitoes. They work on the basis of ultrasound, which imitates the sound of natural enemies - dragonflies, bats, and fertilized females. Mosquitoes pick up ultrasound vibrations at a distance of several meters and try to stay away from such a place.
The ultrasonic repeller clears the room of annoying bloodsuckers within 30 minutes. Even with open windows, pests do not fly into the house. This once again confirms the fact that mosquitoes squeak for a reason; they emit special signals.
The characteristic squeak does not always work to the benefit of mosquitoes. Their approach to a person gives them away. Since bloodsuckers are not able to quickly respond to movement or air vibrations, swatting them down is not difficult.
Sources
- https://apest.ru/komary/o-komarah/pochemu-komary-pishchat/
- https://fishki.net/3386030-komarinyj-pisk-zhara-ijuly-chem-zhuzhzhat-komary-i-pochemu-oni-jeto-delajut.html
- https://klopkan.ru/komary/pochemu-komar-pischit-a-ne-zhuzhzhit-chem-i-kak-on-izdayot-takoy-zvuk/
- https://komarmuha.ru/pochemu-pischat-komary
- https://notklop.ru/komary/o-komarah/pochemu-komary-pishchat/
- https://parazitdoma.ru/drugie-parazity/pochemu-komar-pischit
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Lifespan of a fly
Common fly Theoretically, an insect at the adult stage lives no more than 2 weeks. The lifespan of a fly is shortened due to the presence of natural enemies. How long flies live in an apartment depends on human activity.
If the insects are not disturbed, they are in no hurry to die and will happily live a happy life for 2 months. In the wild, some members of the family live only 14 days. With the use of all kinds of traps, the life of insects is quickly reduced. Pests instantly begin to die from the poison, which humans often use in the form of an aerosol, spray, or solution.
The lifespan of flies may increase if wintering is ahead. Whether insects die or fall asleep depends on the resourcefulness of the imago. Their task is to find a safe place for wintering. Where flies hibernate: in cracks in walls, window openings, basements, any secluded places with a cool temperature. Otherwise, the insect dies under exposure to cold. Egg laying stops in winter.
At the end of September, flies become slow and fly little. They are easy to slam with your palms, which was impossible to do before. Life processes slow down. In a secluded place, the insect stops moving, which allows it to successfully overwinter.
We suggest you read: Medvedka photo and description of how to fight
Who's the biggest?
The largest mosquito in the world is the Karamor. This is a real giant, which is the largest representative of its family. It lives in a temperate or humid climate, preferring forests and other tree plantations, near which there must be swamps or other bodies of water.
Karamora larvae are a real scourge of agriculture. Baby giants eat living plants and are therefore capable of destroying even large plantations. But adult individuals feed on nectar, and in some cases they can go without food for a long time.
The size of the caramor is impressive - its length can reach 6-10 cm! But at the same time, the main part of the body consists of long legs, and the body itself is quite small. This giant can be frightening when encountered, but it poses no danger to humans.
Strong smell
Sensors located on the antennae help mosquitoes find prey by the smell of urine, sweat and carbon dioxide emissions. Mosquitoes also detect a target by outgoing thermal radiation.
If a person emits a stronger odor than other people, then mosquitoes will prefer to attack the target highlighted by the “aroma.” Maintaining hygiene and clean clothes will help you become an uninteresting object for insects.
A person with a high temperature will attract the attention of mosquitoes, so during the period of illness the likelihood of becoming a victim of insects is increased. Some people have a constant body temperature of 38° - this is the norm for their body
Because of this feature, mosquitoes attack one person, but do not touch another
Some people have a constant body temperature of 38° - this is the norm for their body. Because of this feature, mosquitoes attack one person, but do not touch another.
In women, the temperature may rise during menstruation or due to pregnancy.
Mosquitoes navigate by carbon dioxide. Children inhale and exhale much more actively. Scientists suggest that because of this, a child more often becomes a victim of an insect.
"Waste of money"
But according to Knoles, using ultrasound technology in such countries would be crazy. People need to protect themselves with bed nets, ointments and anti-malarial medicines, he said. If they rely only on ultrasound and stop using other means of protection, they will be putting themselves at risk.
The Brazilian radio station's broadcast of the so-called mosquito-repellent sound was not the first of its kind. But earlier the idea did not take root.
Electronic ultrasonic devices advertised as a mosquito repellent are better known around the world.
In 2005, consumer magazine Holiday Which? tested several mosquito repellent devices. Four of them used an ultrasonic signal. The magazine's editor, Lorna Cowan, called them a waste of money and demanded they be withdrawn from sale.
One device called the Lovebug, shaped like a ladybug and designed to be used in a baby's crib or stroller, has caused particular concern. This is due to the fact that by purchasing such a device, parents will believe that their children are sufficiently protected from mosquitoes, as a result of which children may suffer from insect bites.
This device is still available in Europe, although sales in the United States have been stopped due to a Federal Trade Commission enforcement action against the device's manufacturer, Prince Lionheart.
Company president Kelly McConnell told the BBC that Lovebug has been “successfully used around the world,” and the best proof of its effectiveness comes from satisfied customers.
Other manufacturers of similar devices also claim that a huge number of buyers of their products were satisfied with their purchases.
Is a smartphone against mosquitoes a trick for marketers or does it really work?
The market for mobile gadgets is incredibly diverse, but LG was able to surprise: a smartphone that repels mosquitoes went on sale. Mosquito Away technology works on the LG K7i model as follows: an ultrasonic module installed on the back of the smartphone emits a signal with a frequency of 30 kHz. A person does not feel them, because he is able to hear sound only in the range from 16 Hz to 20 kHz. Higher frequencies are called ultrasound, and can be detected by dogs, bats, and mosquitoes.
The creators of the model claim that a frequency of 30 kHz causes panic in mosquitoes, because the wings of dragonflies, the main fighters of bloodsuckers, vibrate in this range.
The anti-mosquito smartphone is intended primarily for sales in India - mosquitoes are so common there that they literally poison the lives of 1 billion 326 million inhabitants. In addition, they are the main carriers of malaria, and it kills about 2 million people on the planet every year. The device will not cost much - 7990 rupees, which is about 7 thousand rubles.
Does it really repel mosquitoes?
“In principle, the idea itself is correct, there is no sedition here,” says Emilia Narchuk, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor at the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. — Ultrasound really repels mosquitoes, I’m familiar with such scientific works. I’m not sure that the vibration of the dragonfly’s wings plays any role here. Mosquitoes simply avoid sounds in a certain range. This effect has long been used in special devices that are similar in appearance to fumigators. Only in fumigators do insecticides evaporate, and ultrasonic devices emit corresponding signals. I know that such devices have been produced in a number of countries before. The only fundamentally new thing is that they are now combined with a smartphone. How effectively will they work? This can only be found out during testing. Because the signal must be strong enough. It is unclear whether the manufacturer provides this condition.
Isn't this harmful to health?
“In theory, no,” says the professor. — Because the ultrasound range is above the human hearing limit. But the question of whether smartphones themselves are safe enough has not yet been fully clarified. And how they will work in combination with an ultrasonic module... All this needs to be studied. Therefore, in my opinion, the most reliable and safe means of protection against bloodsuckers are still repellents.
SMARTPHONE SPECIFICATIONS
— Display diagonal 5 inches
— Quad-core processor MediaTek MTK6737M
— 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal memory
- 2500 mAh battery
— Front camera 5 MP, rear camera 8 MP
— Can be equipped with a standard rear panel without the Mosquito Away function
Screaming child
Behind this sound there is not just air vibration, but a whole evolutionary mechanism. The baby's cries and cries are created in such a way that they cannot be ignored. So, if something happens to the boy, he will definitely be able to attract the attention of adults. It’s just a pity that the rest of the minibus passengers have nothing to do with this attention.
The worst thing is when you are traveling with a screaming child in public transport. It’s really bad if the transport is an airplane. So last year, Japanese airlines began pre-listing the seats where children will sit so you can buy a ticket somewhere further away. And if you didn’t have time, then there is only one way out - get the loudest possible headphones with active noise cancellation.
Level of irritation: The higher the less opportunities you have to move to a safe distance.
