I am going to get a bit snarky here, as there is an entire class of the pop ulation that are so confused by actual facts that they *MUST* believe the o pposite, or they will die.
a) Mosquitoes are poor flyers - generally as little as a 5 mph wind will gi ve them difficulties. A breeze/fan is your best local defense. b) Mosquitoes follow CO2, various scents and such in searching for their pr ey. Although they prefer warm-blooded prey, they will readily bite reptiles and amphibians should nothing else be available. c) Some individuals attract mosquitoes more than others. But anything that breaths with lungs is fair game.
Mosquitoes ARE NOT attracted to light. FULL STOP. If they get caught in a z apper-type trap, it will be mostly males (which feed on sap and nectar) or females caught simply passing through, not heading to a destination.
Zappers may be entertaining, but they are a plague on the insect population , doing far more harm than good - excepting those indoors, in kitchens and such, that kill mostly flies. The brute fact of the matter is that these de vices should be banned to the general public, and used only by license. As, clearly, the general public is far too stupid to understand the issue - re quiring a nanny-government to protect them.
No Bumblebees - no vine squash or melons. No Bees - not much of anything. No hummingbirds (protein source: Fruitflies, spiders and other small bugs, mostly), many fruits with tubular flowers would fail. Moths, butterflies, midges, beetles - by the way, no midges (often mistaken for mosquitoes), no chocolate.
Insects are at the bottom of the food chain - and the base of the pyramid o n which much other life is based.
It is interesting to note that the mosquito, while widespread and perniciou s, is one of the few insects that does not seem to occupy an important plac e in the food chain. Really. And, one of the few that is also immune to mos t conventional attractants. Go figure.
Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA