They’re called the world’s deadliest animal by the CDC.
Mosquitoes kill more people than any other creature, and right now, the insects are out, and they’re hungry.
Conor McMeniman with the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute at the Bloomberg School of Public Health says around the world, infected mosquitoes are responsible for around 700,000 deaths every year.
“Mosquitoes need to blood feed to obtain proteins and nutrients necessary for egg production, and as such they hunt humans,” he said.
The insects can spread diseases like West Nile Virus, malaria, dengue, yellow fever, zika, chikungunya and lymphatic filariasis.
“There’s a lot of things we can do to stop mosquitoes biting us,” said McMeniman. “The first thing is to protect our homes.”
McMeniman said using window screens, ceiling fans and air conditioners help make a home inhospitable for mosquitoes, and remove standing water sources around your yard, which is where the insects like to breed.
Protecting yourself and your loved ones is also important.
“Wearing a personal insect repellent, an EPA registered insect repellent, is important, as well as covering up when you’re outdoors, particularly during times of day when mosquitoes like to bite such as dusk,” said McMeniman.