How Mosquitoes Find Their Human Targets
- 9 years ago
A recent study provides further insight into the ‘annoyingly robust’ system mosquitoes have to find prey to bite which involves a combination of smell, sight, and heat sensing.
Mosquitoes seem particularly good at finding humans to bite, and now scientists have a better idea why.
According to a new study, the insects have a multi-sensory strategy that involves odors, visual cues, and body heat which is used to draw them closer to their prey.
It is believed that from about 34 to 164 feet away, they can smell exhaled carbon dioxide, or CO2; about 16 to 49 feet away, they can see the target; then, within 3 feet, body heat gets detected.
To test the way their senses work, researchers
Mosquitoes seem particularly good at finding humans to bite, and now scientists have a better idea why.
According to a new study, the insects have a multi-sensory strategy that involves odors, visual cues, and body heat which is used to draw them closer to their prey.
It is believed that from about 34 to 164 feet away, they can smell exhaled carbon dioxide, or CO2; about 16 to 49 feet away, they can see the target; then, within 3 feet, body heat gets detected.
To test the way their senses work, researchers