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Dieren en planten

Winged insects   Flies and mosquitos   Mosquitoes   Horse-fly   Seaweed flies   
  • Dut: Steekmuggen
  • Lat: Culicidae
  • Eng: Mosquitoes
  • Ger: Stechmücken
  • Fre: Moustiques
  • Dan: Stikmyg
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Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are known for the irritating bites they cause. These are always the females; the males are innocent. The females need the blood to lay their eggs. When they bite, they release an anti-coagulating substance in the body, so they can suck the blood without it solidifying. This substance causes itching and mosquito lumps. Mosquito larvae are aquatic. They hang just under the water surface in fresh water, where they filter algae and small particles out of the water. The larvae are prey for fish, beetles and other predators.

  • Plagues

    Mosquitoes are also found along the coast and on the Wadden Islands but fortunately not as much as inland. Sometimes there are mosquito plagues on the islands, as in 2007 on Schiermonnikoog. Scientists expect that the number of mosquitoes in the Netherlands will increase in the coming years. Because there is more wet nature, there are more areas for them to breed. The temperature is often higher whereby more generations of mosquitoes are born in a year. And the quality of surface water has improved.