Today’s post comes from Janet Fenton, a park program educator with Presqu’ile Provincial Park.
Many of you might be surprised or shocked to hear someone say that. Usually, people consider mosquitoes a pest and smack to kill them, but what would you think if I was to say that mosquitoes are important to plants and other animals like us?
No, not mosquitoes! They are super annoying and leave itchy bumps when they bite!
Thoughts like these are stopping us from seeing the bigger picture of how important these animals are.
Compassion for plants and animals is fading at a time when they need us the most.
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Not all mosquitos bite humans!
Not all 3500 species of mosquitoes worldwide bite humans. Blood is not a mosquito’s main source of food.
In fact, it’s nectar from flowers.
Just like bees or butterflies, mosquitoes transfer pollen from flower to flower as they feed on their delicious nectar.
This fertilizes the plant and allows them to form seeds and reproduce, which is how delicious things like fruits and nuts are made.
Believe it or not, mosquitoes are pollinators for many species of plants. There are some orchids like the Blunt-leaved Bog Orchid for which mosquitoes are a primary pollinator.
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Okay, I’ll bite. Tell me more
Now you might be thinking, what could possibly be so bad if all mosquitoes disappeared?
Mosquitoes are an important part of the food web. They are prey in both their aquatic larval and winged adult form for a lot of wildlife. If they disappeared, many animals would have a lot less food.
When female mosquitoes are ready to lay eggs, they seek out a blood meal for protein. While their bite is annoying, it plays a crucial role in their reproduction in keeping them on the menu for their predators: dragonflies, turtles, bats, and birds.
Mosquitoes pack a nutritious punch for the wildlife in parks we work to protect. Sounds like a great reason to protect mosquitoes, too!
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A spit-take on mosquito magic
Think about your spit. It helps moisten your mouth which kickstarts digestion, helps you chew and swallow food, and protects your teeth, but mosquitoes’ spit is different. Some might say…magical.
Now you might be thinking that Janet is making things up! The lady who loves mosquitoes is now talking about magical spit. How can spit be magical?
You see, when you bleed, your blood naturally tries to clot to stop the bleeding. This protective adaptation is useful to us, but not to a mosquito trying to suck your blood through their small needle-like proboscis.
This is where their magic spit comes in. It contains an anticoagulant that stops blood from clotting., allowing mosquitoes to enjoy their blood meal without getting all clotted up.
This anticoagulant has been studied within the medical field. This research is helping to develop medicine like anti-clotting drugs. Magical mosquito spit to the rescue!
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My bark is worse than my bite
Mosquitoes might be annoying, but they have an important role to play ecologically.
Imagine how different your park visit would be without them!
How would an absence of wildlife change your favourite hiking trail, bird watching during migration season, fishing trips with your kids, or the beautiful photos on your camera roll?
Campfires might be quieter without a mosquito’s buzz, but parks wouldn’t be the same.
So, next time you see a mosquito stuck inside your house, show them kindness by catching and releasing them back outside.
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