A World Without Mosquitoes

Aaaah, it’s a wonderful thought, isn’t it?  I’ve bitched in the past about how much I hate mosquitoes but ugh, I’m fed up.   I have put screens on all our windows and doors but they still manage to get in somehow.  I think they have a secret breeding ground somewhere in my house.   I’m also convinced that the mosquitoes here in the Netherlands are more crafty and inventive than the ones back in Canada.

The problem isn’t just that I get bitten by them, it’s that I get bitten by them and have serious reactions.  Other people get these little white bumps, look what I get!

*@&@! Mosquitos!!

*@&@! Mosquitos!!

Yeah, SO not fun.  My arm isn’t totally misshapen by the way, I just had to twist it weird to show the bite.   There are more but I can’t be bothered to take pics of them all.  Plus, I’m sure this drives the point home.

My husband thinks something else is biting me but I refuse to consider it because the first thing that comes to mind is spiders in my bed, and that makes me freak right the hell out.

It’s mosquitoes, I know it is.  I see them flittering about my house.   The other night one landed on my book while I was reading in bed and I slammed the book shut so hard I startled the dog.  I killed the bastard though!

I had a look online to see if there was any information what the world would be like without them.  Surprisingly, there hasn’t been a lot of research into this topic, which I find ridiculous.  First they should study what happens if we wipe them off the planet, then… if it’s nothing bad, they should start hatching a plan to do so!

Anyhow, this is one of the answers I found to the question:

…  The situation with mosquitoes is less clear. Most people think only of the negative impact mosquitoes have through vectoring diseases of humans and animals – did you know that creatures as diverse as frogs, lizards, and birds have their own versions of mosquito-borne malaria? However, mosquitoes, both as larvae and adults, can serve as a food source for a variety of animals from birds and bats to other arthropods and birds, but none of these predators that I know of are dependent on mosquitoes as a food source. Also, both male and female (but mostly male) mosquitoes can pollinate some plants, but with the possible exception of some small bog orchids (see http://www.borealforest.org/herbs/herb28.htm), I am unaware of any plant species that are dependent on mosquitoes for pollination. A world without mosquitoes therefor would not appear much different than what we see today. In my opinion, the biggest likely difference would be an  increase in human and other mammal populations in areas currently ‘off limits’ because of mosquito-borne diseases.

AHA!  Written proof that the world would be a better place without mosquitoes.  Err… or maybe not.  I don’t know if a larger population would make for a better earth, but for the sake of proving my point, lets just say that it is.

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14 comments

  1. Dear, dear.
    If mosquitoes love you it is because you have a lack of vitamin B1 in you blod. I live in Canada and when I go fishing in the wilderness during black flies and mosquito season (June) I can walk naked without being touched by those buggars. If I don’t take the vitamin B1during 3 days in advance and take it every day during the week they do love me. I get itchy and swollen.
    You can also give it tou your pets if they are ennoyed by them .
    Do love mosquitoes: they are part of Creation and are useful to other species.

  2. I have the same reaction, and nothing helps. I have to sit with ice on my legs. I want to find a doctor that is doing research on this sort of reaction.
    .-= S.G´s last blog ..HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! =-.

  3. I have a theory, developed from two years worth of contemplation over my lumpen, misshapen arms…

    We haven’t built up a lifetime of immunities to European mosquitoes.

    The first year my Dutch hubby came to visit me in Canada, we spent three days in a cabin on Lake Superior in Grand Marais Minnesota. Lovely. Except that the air was thick with skeeters…and who got punished? My hubby with the same ugly welts that I get now. He was gobsmacked because he said he had never had a problem with mosquito bites. No immunity to North American pests, I say.

    And sure enough, now that I live in Holland, I get the skeeter tumours. And Dutchie? Not a one.

    Now that I have a theory, I just have to come up with a solution. Damn, the hard part….

  4. They don’t seem to bite me much this year for some reason,but I used to have the same kind of skin reaction. That sucks.

    The other day, I killed one who was right on top of my left breast. A male, I guess :lol:

    Zhus last blog post… Heart Of The Country

  5. Try getting bitten on the eyelid! And of course it was when I was meeting my future inlaws for the first time:)
    I actually take an antihistamine(Benedryl) when I’m bitten,helps take the swelling down…

  6. The worst of these mosquito bites is on the fingers. I get them on my fingers. On the backside of the finger where it seems the skin is more sensitive. And I thought papercuts on the fingers were bad.. I agree with your idea of the plan to wipe out mosquitoes. I believe all the world would be a happier place without the critters. Fish, spiders and birds have already a million other choices for food, so why not? ;)

    Isabellas last blog post… New Amsterdam Cheesecake

  7. I have a bite on my ribs!! What kind of mosquito goes for the ribs??? I had one on my leg last week like the one on your arm. I have no idea why my reaction to them is so bad, I’ve spent many a time in the bush up north and I got bit but nothing like this.
    I want my after bite!

    Melissas last blog post… Gouda – Yes as in the cheese.

  8. I also have reactions to bites like this. But, I have some crazy ass allergies anyway, like lavender.

    Ambers last blog post… My broken heart

  9. Man we’re like twins! I get the same ones and they get HUGE..Im so allergic to the bites that they leave almost scar like imprints in my skin! It takes forever for them to go away. It’ so painful too. I used to get shots when I was a kid for it but man the dan things here are 100 times worse then what I faced back home. I got bitten a month ago like 8 times on the back of my legs and you can still see them,like a faded burn mark. I freaking hate mosquitos.

    Sonyas last blog post… Summer’s End..

  10. I get the same reactions, they’re like red welts with a small stinger hole in the center. That’s why I despise them and hate getting bit, b/c the reaction is so bad. Everyone comments if they see one.

    “Did you get stung by a bee??”

    – No, mosquito

    “THAT is a mosquito bite?”

    – *sigh* “yes”.

  11. Argh, I was afraid of that. I think we have quite enough mosquitoes here in Germany, but I bet I’m in for a rude surprise. Bats eat mosquitoes, maybe I should get a pet bat.

    Wonder what my two cats would think of that…

    alalas last blog post… not dealing

  12. When I lived in Rotterdam, I was totally freaked out by the amount of mosquitoes around, I did the same to our apartment, screens .. swatters… that thing you buy to electrocute them :) I love that one btw. I took great pleasure in seeing them burn alive!

    I was never allergic to the bites until I moved to the Netherlands, mine look similar to yours only mine would get to be the size of a small apple…. and sore … it isn’t fun at all. When I visited Canada this year I went to the drive in where they attacked me (as usual) … sure they got itchy… but nothing like what happens when I’m bitten here… has to be a different kind of mosquito here that is causing such a bad reaction… of course there are 3000 different kinds hehe

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