We don’t think that it’s a very controversial statement to say that most people hate mosquitoes and hate them with a passion. And there’s good reason for the animosity that’s directed against these winged insects. Not only is getting a mosquito bite a very unpleasant experience, but it is also one that is potentially dangerous.

Mosquitoes spread a variety of different diseases around the world including West Nile, Zika, Chikungunya, Dengue Fever, and Malaria. And that’s only a small sampling of the diseases they spread every year. To raise the public’s awareness about the disease potential of these pests, and to encourage people to protect themselves against mosquitoes, World Mosquito Day was invented. This holiday is one that’s observed annually on August 20th.

The History Of World Mosquito Day

This holiday observes the occasion when Sir Ronald Ross discovered that female mosquitoes transmitted malaria to humans on August 20th, 1897. A discovery that would win him the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1902 — the first such award for a British scientist. World Mosquito Day has been observed since the 1930s.

Some Interesting Facts About Mosquitoes

Although most people know about mosquitoes, we’re willing to bet that they don’t know as much about them as they think they do. Sure, we’ve all had experience with being annoyed by these insects, but how many people really know how long these insects live, how many diseases are caused by them, or some of the other interesting facts we’re about to unveil below? We’re willing to bet that not many people know the following facts. With that being said, let’s take a few moments to look at the following facts.

• Mosquitoes are the world’s deadliest creatures, killing more people than sharks, tigers, and crocodiles combined.
• Only female mosquitoes bite.
• Aedes mosquitoes can go from an egg to an adult in 7-10 days.
• Aedes mosquitoes lay up to 100 eggs at a time.
• Female mosquitoes can drink their entire weight in blood.
• Mosquitoes tend to be more active when the moon is full.
• The typical mosquito will live approximately 2-3 weeks.

How To Protect Yourself From Mosquitoes

Now, we’re going to do a section to help people protect themselves against mosquitoes. Since over 725,000 people are killed by mosquito-borne diseases, we thought that this section was an important one to add to this article about World Mosquito Day. Let’s take a look at some of the steps people can take to protect themselves against mosquitoes.

• Avoid mosquito-heavy areas as much as possible, especially during the mornings and evenings.
• Wear socks, long pants, and shoes that are made out of tightly woven materials.
• Use mosquito netter where mosquitoes may be present.
• Use an insect repellent that contains DEET or another EPA-registered ingredient.

Observing World Mosquito Day

Learning more about mosquitoes and the health impacts caused by them is just one of the ways that people can observe World Mosquito Day. People can also take the time to learn how they can protect themselves against being bitten by them. We also encourage people to spread the word about this holiday using the hashtag #WorldMosquitoDay on social media.