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Mosquito Teen

What particular characteristic of mosquitoes annoys us most? Well, the female bite sure stings, but generally, mosquitoes make a type of sound that leaves most of us furious.

The United Kingdom is faced with a teenager-related dilemma. Malls, convenience stores, and other establishments are not happy with the groups of youth that loiter inside their properties. A security expert, Howard Stapleton, came up with the idea of the mosquito teen repellent. He created a device that looks like an ordinary black box except that it produces a pulsing frequency up to 80 decibels that can be heard within a 15-20 meter range. Well, those beyond twenty-five or so need not worry actually. This mosquito teen repellent is not supposed to be heard by people in the late 20’s and beyond.

The principle behind this high-frequency sound machine has something to do with the hearing ability of people. It is a fact that age interferes with one’s ability to hear sounds of high frequencies. The mosquito teen repellent works to upset the rowdy teenagers who are always loitering inside establishments. There are instances when older people are said to have heard the mosquito teen repellent. However, the noise never seem to bother anyone else but the teens.

Compound Security Systems, a company based in the U.K., has patented the mosquito teen repellent and has been making this device available in the market since December of 2005. So far it has already been commended with two awards: The Chairman’s Special Commendation in the Credit Suisse Entrepreneur of the Year 2006; and A Highly Commended Status Award in the AXA Small to Medium Sized Business of the Year 2006.

The mosquito teen repellent has been sufficiently tested to ensure that even if some people over 25 years old can hear the sound to some extent, this does not bother them the way it would the teenagers. Dogs, which are known for their exceptional hearing abilities, do not appear to be pestered by the mosquito teen repellent as well.

The high-frequency sound does not immediately bother teenagers right away. It usually takes 5-10 minutes for the mosquito teen repellent to become annoying. It also becomes stronger and more bothersome if one gets closer to the sound. However, it does not go through barriers, making it a friendly device to the neighbors too.

Never has the mosquito buzz been considered beneficial as in this case. But while it so far succeeded in warding off loitering teenagers, it does not help those who are really going shopping. And unless shopkeepers who are utilizing the mosquito teen repellent start handing out ear plugs to young shoppers, teenagers would have to let their mommies do their shopping.

Mosquito Species

Do you know that the females of the mosquito species are the ones that suck blood from people and animals? Well, you can’t really tell the females just by looking at the mosquitoes hovering above your head, so it’s generally a good idea to avoid them altogether.

The world has over two thousand five hundred mosquito species. The United States and Canada are home to about two hundred of these. Among the two hundred mosquito species, forty-three are carriers of the West Nile Virus, which include: Culex Pipiens, Culex Quinquefasciatus, Culex Restuans, Aedes Albopictus, and Aedes Vexans.

Mosquitoes are generally greatly-feared insects. They are the cause of over two million deaths in humans every year. The different mosquito species are carriers of varied diseases. They feed and breed at varying times of the day as well. The three most common mosquito species in the U.S. are the Aedes Albopictus, Culex Pipiens, and the Anopheles Quadrimaculatus. The first two are West Nile Virus carriers, while the third one is the main cause of malaria.

Regardless of the mosquito species, the blood that the females suck is necessary to produce eggs. And I am not talking about a single or two eggs at a time. The female mosquitoes can produce up to 250 eggs. One common trait of all mosquito species is their affinity for laying their eggs in any natural or man-made pool of water. They all go through a four-stage life cycle namely egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Eggs are hatched within 48 hours. However, the larvae enjoy its breeding ground from seven to fourteen days and feed on the microorganisms present in the water. The pupa stage does not differ much from the previous stage except that it does not feed anymore. An adult mosquito develops after one to four days from the pupa cycle and will stay on the water’s surface until it is dry enough to fly.

Is anyone more prone to mosquito bites than others? Actually, carbon dioxide that is exhaled from as far as 100-150 feet away can attract the female mosquitoes. And since all of us breathe, we are all targets for this blood-sucking animals. However, it was found out that there are scents that make some people more attractive to mosquitoes. These scents include perfumes and sweat. You might wonder where the males get their food if they abhor blood. The males prefer to extract plant juices rather than feed on the blood of animals and humans.

Not all mosquito species are disease-carrying. Some are basically just out to get a taste of your blood. Even if that sounded less dangerous than getting diseases like the West Nile Virus or the Dengue Fever, all mosquito species are still nuisances – males included.