Mosquitoes: What are they Good For?

By Emma Roth

One of my favorite places to be is outside, whether that is hiking, camping, kayaking, or just sitting under a tree and relaxing in the fresh air. And while I love being outdoors, it’s not always a comfortable experience. Summer brings hot sun and humidity, winter has cold wind, and all seasons can have rain or precipitation that is sometimes just not enjoyable. However, these are all elemental discomforts that I can adjust to and find ways to accept.

There is one discomfort, however, that really gets to me. When bad enough, it makes me question whether my love of the outdoors is enough to keep me outside. It is the mosquitoes. I’m not alone in hating them. In fact, I have yet to meet a single person who truly likes mosquitoes, although I am sure they are out there somewhere.

Mosquitoes are the bane of my summer existence. The tiny high-pitch buzz right next to my ear can instantly destroy the sense of relaxation and peace being outdoors can bring. The itchy bites stay with me for hours, sometimes keeping me up at night as I question the decisions that led to that moment. Why did I decide to go for a hike today? How could I forget my bug spray? How can they bite through so many layers of clothes?

I often joke that I wish all the mosquitoes in the world would just disappear, and that we would all be better off without them. Aside from the annoyance they bring, mosquitoes are also an incredibly deadly pest in parts of the world where they spread diseases such as malaria and zika virus. By some metrics, they are considered the deadliest animals to humans on the planet.

The biology minded side of me, however, knows that they must have some important ecological function. All animals in an ecosystem have their niche, or a role they fill to keep the system functioning. The same must be true for mosquitoes, right?

One of the most important parts of an animal’s niche is where they fall on the food chain. What do they eat and what eats them? So, let’s start there. What do mosquitoes eat? The answer to that may seem obvious to anyone who has spent time outdoors. They eat blood. However, that is not the full story.

To start, only female mosquitoes eat blood as it is necessary for them to breed, and not all mosquitoes drink human blood. Some specialize in amphibians, like frogs, while others go for insects, even other mosquitoes. However, blood is not their only source of food. Both males and females eat nectar, the sweet substance found in flowers that is also enjoyed by butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. Like these other nectar-lovers, mosquitoes are therefore important pollinators, spreading pollen between the plants they visit and allowing the plants to reproduce.

Many predators feast on mosquitoes as well. As larvae, they live underwater, preferring still or slow-moving water such as ponds or swamps, where they are an important food source for fish, turtles, and larger underwater insects like dragonfly nymphs. Dragonfly nymphs especially are fans of mosquito larva, which makes up most of their diet. Aquatic birds like ducks eat mosquito larva from the water.

Adult mosquitoes are also an important food source for many predators. Bats are a huge fan. If a bat is swooping around near you when you are outside, it is often picking off the mosquitoes that are headed your way. Thank you bats! Many birds eat the mosquito adults, hunting them while flying through the air. Swallows, flycatchers such as Eastern Phoebes, Eastern Bluebirds, Baltimore Orioles, and Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds are known to actively hunt mosquitoes.

So, would the world really be better off without mosquitoes? For humans, the answer may be yes, but humans are not the only species living on this planet. Many different species of plants and animals rely on these pesky, annoying creatures. They are a crucial part of the ecosystem. I won’t say we should all start to love the mosquito and enjoy their presence in the world because, let’s be honest, they suck (pun intended). I will try to be a bit more tolerant of them and take some comfort in the fact that they do a little bit of good in the world.

Audubon Community Nature Center builds and nurtures connections between people and nature. ACNC is located just east of Route 62 between Warren and Jamestown. The trails and outdoor facilities are open from dawn to dusk. The Nature Center is open from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. daily except Sunday when it opens at 1 p.m. More information can be found online at auduboncnc.org or by calling (716) 569-2345.