Bug stuff

Now that it's summer time, I thought this information would be good. My son asked me why Mosquito bites itched. So I looked it up. Well you know me when I find an interesting site, I just have to share. The site is called wise geek ( no s). and I ended up following links all over that site. Make sure you have lots of time to surf when you go there. Here's a sample of what I found

Why do mosquito bites itch?
Mosquitoes are a bit like flying syringes. Their large needle nose, called a proboscis, is ideal for quickly landing on a victim, withdrawing a bit of blood and then taking off for the next target. You may not notice a mosquito bite initially, but within an hour or two after a bite, you may have raised red bumps from mosquito bites that itch like crazy.
When a mosquito bites, she leaves behind saliva. In fact, the saliva present in mosquito bites serves the mosquito well, since it works as an anti-coagulant. These means the mosquito can quickly draw blood without catching your attention.
The saliva injected when a mosquito bites causes our bodies to produce a histamine response. We have a slight allergy response, and thus our skin around the bite area gets itchy. This can actually be a good thing, even if it's an annoying one, because mosquito bites can transfer disease. In the US, risk of West Nile Virus is the main concern. In other countries, mosquito bites may transfer malaria and other quite nasty germs. If our bodies didn't respond with the itch factor to mosquito bites, we might not realize we'd been bitten. Though knowing you've been bitten may not prevent the spread of disease, you can tell your doctor about it if you develop severe flu symptoms a few days or weeks later.
Mosquitoes are most active during the hours just before and after sunrise and sundown.
 

Why do mosquitoes bite some people more than others?

One mosquito bite is annoying, but to be continually bitten by those little creatures can drive you crazy. Even worse, the friend standing next to you seems inexplicably mosquito bite free.
The reason why mosquitoes are attracted to some people and not to others can be summed up in a single word: smell.
Scientific research has shown that if you are frequently bitten by mosquitoes, it is because of the smell you give off. Mosquitoes are attracted to the smells of certain people. If a person is rarely bitten, then his or her body gives off a smell that masks the scent that attracts mosquitoes.

The body's masking odors act like a natural repellent to mosquitoes. People who are bitten less frequently, or not at all, emit chemicals that repel mosquitoes. Mosquitoes recognize these smells as something they would not like to feast on and fly to someone else. Recent research has been undertaken to narrow down the smells that are attractive and repellent to mosquitoes. The research was at first described as similar to looking for a needle in a haystack, but scientists have since managed to track down and identify around 30 chemical compounds out of 300 that can protect people.

The mosquito bite repellents currently available on the market work on much the same principle. They mask the attractive body odor that mosquitoes like. Some mosquito bite repellents are plant-based in odor, causing the mosquito to sense that the wearer is a plant and look elsewhere for its food.

The importance of the tests to find a masking order goes beyond solving irritating little mosquito bites. A mosquito bite is not just annoying; it can present a real danger to humans. Mosquitoes carry dangerous diseases, such as malaria. Malaria is the cause of millions of deaths every day and a significant problem in many African countries.

After determining the masking odor that deters mosquitoes, the next step is to duplicate it. If this is possible, then further tests will make sure it is safe to be applied to human skin. If this is successful, then a whole new type of mosquito bite repellent will be available. These repellents should be safer and more natural than previous repellents, as they will be based on the skin's natural masking agents.

Another way to avoid a mosquito bite may be to stay close to friends who are never bitten. Until the new mosquito bite repellent is available, this might be the safest option

I guess I'll have to get  me one of those.   I think that's another of those movie lines I'm so fond of.