- Photos of the dengue mosquito
- Characteristics of the Aedes aegypti mosquito
- Life cycle of Aedes aegypti
- How to fight Aedes aegypti
Aedes aegypti is the mosquito responsible for Dengue, Zika and Chikungunya and is very similar to the mosquito, however it has some characteristics that help to be differentiated from other mosquitoes. In addition to its white and black stripes, the mosquito has some habits that help to identify it.
The dengue mosquito, besides being silent:
- It usually stings during the day, especially in the early hours of the morning or late afternoon; It stings, mainly, in the legs, ankles or feet and its sting usually does not hurt or itch; It has low flight, with a maximum of 1 meter distance from soil.
In addition, Aedes aegypti is more common in the summer, and it is recommended to use repellents, use insecticides in the house or put mosquito nets on doors and windows. A natural way to keep mosquitoes away is to light citronella candles indoors.
The mosquito that transmits Dengue, Zika and Chikungunya is also the main responsible for the transmission of yellow fever, so it is important to fight it, avoiding the accumulation of standing water in containers such as cups, tires, bottle caps or plant pots. Learn more about dengue transmission.
Photos of the dengue mosquito
Characteristics of the Aedes aegypti mosquito
The mosquito has the following characteristics:
- Size: between 0.5 and 1 cm Color: has black color and white streaks on the legs, head and body; Wings: has 2 pairs of translucent wings; Feet: has 3 pairs of legs.
This mosquito does not like heat and, therefore, in the hottest times of the day, it is hidden in the shade or indoors. Although it usually bites during the day, this mosquito can also bite during the night.
Life cycle of Aedes aegypti
Aedes aegypti takes an average of 3-10 days to develop and lives for approximately 1 month. The female mosquito can produce 3, 000 eggs in her medical reproductive cycle. The life cycle of Aedes aegypti begins in standing water where it passes from egg to larva and then pupa. Then it turns into a mosquito and becomes terrestrial, ready to reproduce. The main characteristics of each phase are:
- Egg: It can remain up to 8 inactive months glued above the water line, even in a dry place and in intense cold, until it finds the ideal conditions to transform into larvae, which are heat and still water; Larva: Lives in water, feeds on protozoa, bacteria and fungi present in water and in just 5 days becomes pupa; Pupa: Lives in the water where it continues to develop, and becomes an adult mosquito in 2-3 days; Adult mosquito: it is ready to fly and reproduce, but for that it needs to feed on human or animal blood, when the transmission of diseases occurs.
Find out more details of each phase of the Aedes aegypti life cycle.
How to fight Aedes aegypti
To combat the dengue mosquito it is important to avoid the existence of places or objects, such as lids, tires, vases or bottles, that can accumulate standing water, facilitating the development of the mosquito. So it is advised:
- Keep the water box closed with the lid; Clean the gutters, removing leaves, branches and other objects that may prevent the passage of water; Do not allow rainwater to accumulate on the slab; Wash tanks used to store water with a brush and soap; keep the vats and barrels of water tightly closed; fill the pots with sand; wash the pots once a week with water plants, using a brush and soap; store the empty bottles upside down; hand the old tires over urban cleaning service or keep them without water and sheltered from the rain; put the garbage in closed bags and close the trash can.
Another way to prevent the development of the dengue mosquito is to put a natural larvicide in all plant dishes, mixing 2 tablespoons of coffee grounds in 250 ml of water and adding to the plant dish, repeating this procedure every week. Check out these and other tips by watching the following video:
Anvisa has already approved the use of a biological larvicide, called Biovech, which is capable of killing dengue lavas and mosquitoes in just 24 hours, without leaving toxic residues that can harm the environment and that is why it is safe for man, animals and plants.
See how to avoid being bitten by Aedes aegypti in the video:
