Mosquitoes in aircondition

We had had to argue with a number of people – models, bankers, industry peers, people accompanying customers – just about everyone that mosquitoes are present even in air-conditioned rooms. But most seem sceptical about it, though it is the truth.

They reason that the mosquitoes hate cold. They point out that they are mostly tropical insects. “There aren’t any mosquitoes in hill stations like Ooty and kodaikanal,” one woman said. “They’re too tiny and would freeze in the cold (!!!)”. And the most common argument is that since the a/c rooms are closed there is no way for them to enter.

Before I came into the mosquito net business, I believed like they did. Unfortunately, none of them are right.

It is true that the mosquitoes are tropical and do not like the cold. BUT, that doesn’t mean that they should be strictly tropical and run to the Caribbean when the winter sets in. If it were true, then North America and Europe would not be running with their skirts held high and shrieking.

Researches have found that mosquitoes after mating are capable of waiting out four months of winter to lay eggs after which they die.

About hill stations, I found on the Internet that mosquitoes are usually not found in higher altitudes. But now scientists in Peru have found mosquitoes in higher altitudes. With global warming and warmer winters, we can not anymore expect the mosquitoes to stay at home covering themselves with mufflers, sweaters and shawls. As if that’s not enough our irresponsibility as citizens and tourists have made many popular hill stations look like large dump yards in hilly terrain. Maybe mosquitoes have not yet invaded higher altitudes of Nilgiris but at Kotagiri and lower villages there ARE mosquitoes, trust me. And how stupid should you be to say that mosquitoes would ‘freeze’ in cold weather! What, they unfreeze in winter? If it was possible, frozen Mammoths found in Siberia would be alive now.

Do you know that actually there are more mosquitoes in an air conditioned room than in a room with a fan working? That’s because mosquitoes have difficulty flying in ‘fast moving air’ than in cooler air.

So don’t fling silly excuses at us. Buy a mosquito net, particularly if you’re sleeping in an A/c room.

P.S – Please buy VIEWnet in that case.

P.P.S – We’re quite shameless in marketing our products. J

Mosquitoes disappearing

On the last week of August, a news about the mysterious disappearance of mosquitoes was doing the rounds. Researchers had found that the number of mosquitoes especially those that spread malaria are hard to find in African nations, especially in and around countries like Tanzania, Angola etc.
But this news is NOT heartening as there are disputes about this claim and also there are differences of opinion about the reason for this 'disappearances'. The common perception is that the use of mosquitoes, both insecticide treated and otherwise, vaccinations and other such precautionary and prohibitory methods are finally paying of. Though this seems only logical the truth is such mass disappearance suddenly is not...practical. 
In Africa, like in other places around the world, the weather has kind of become freaky. yes, its the climate change thing. Now mosquitoes, all they do in their time is, eat, mate, bite us, lay egg, repeat this cycle as many times as they could in their lifetime and then die. The most important thing 'laying eggs' is kind of like the only reason they live for. Different species of mosquitoes have different needs and preferences when it comes to this. And being one of the most adaptable life forms, they've evolved so much that they could wait ALL winter with eggs in their bellies, lay eggs when the conditions favour them and then die. So with the climatic conditions bleak in Africa, I'd say they are bidding their time before they come back soon stronger than before. The problem here really is, as they are resistant to the insecticides (contrary to the claims of all manufacturers), we'd be poisoning ourselves more and more to stop them while they'd happily dodge our 'aims' and suck on.