(female narrator)
Hold a contest
for the most annoying insect,
and the mosquito would win
hands down.
But there's one mosquito
that stands out
as more annoying than most.
Seasonal Science brings you
"Asian Tiger Mosquitoes."
(Describer) They have black and white stripes.
To understand what makes
this mosquito
so good at being annoying,
let's look at the main ways
it's really good at,
well, being a mosquito.
(Describer) Title: Biting.
Unlike other mosquitoes that
feed off of one type of host,
Asian tiger mosquitoes
take blood
from almost anything
that has blood--
birds, cats, dogs,
horses, cows,
and, of course, people.
It ain't picky, and we all
end up paying the price.
(Describer) Title: Breeding.
Asian tiger mosquitoes
reproduce fast and furious.
From egg
to bloodsucking adult
takes less than a week.
A female can lay
multiple generations per season.
And unlike other mosquitoes
that need a full belly
in order to lay their eggs,
an Asian tiger mosquito
needs only a nip of blood
and she can lay the next
generation of bloodsuckers.
And they aren't picky
where they lay eggs.
Give them as little as
a quarter inch of standing water
and they will lay eggs
just about anywhere--
old tires, flower pots,
birdbaths,
tarps, gutters,
and even discarded plastic bags.
(Describer) Title: Behavior.
Gone are the days
of wearing repellant
at dawn and dusk.
Unlike other mosquitoes,
these little bloodsuckers
are out all day long.
Some would call them persistent,
others would call them vicious,
but either way,
they bite a lot.
One study clocked them in
at 30 to 48 bites per hour,
enough to ruin
that backyard barbecue.
All of these characteristics
combined
have made this mosquito good
at being invasive.
Native to Japan,
these suckers are wreaking havoc
in over 50 countries.
So slather on that repellant,
fire up the fans,
and for the love
of all your neighbors,
empty out that kiddie pool
when you're done with it.
Accessibility provided by the
U.S. Department of Education.
(Describer) Titles: Seasonal Science by Melissa Salpietra.
Accessibility provided by the US Department of Education.
