Scientists Have Finally Discovered The Real Reason Mosquitos Bite Humans

Almost everyone can agree that mosquitoes are the worst. They fly around, buzzing their stupid wings and sucking blood like fake vampires—but is there a logic behind these bugs? After years of studying these minute jerks and their annoying behaviors, scientists have finally come out with the unsettling truth about why mosquitoes target one person over another. We're just crossing our fingers that we're not their preferred meal!

Too Many Mosquitos

There are 3,500 species of mosquitoes on Earth, which is 3,500 too many. In the U.S. alone, there are 176 unique varieties, according to the American Mosquito Control Association. These pesky swarms are more consequential than most of us realize.

Flying Disease Carriers

Beyond being a nuisance, mosquitos also carry diseases like malaria, which killed 438,000 people in 2015. This is spread by Anopheles mosquitos, or Marsh mosquitos. This genus was named in 1818 by J.W. Meigen. 

Dangerous Bugs

Another type, Aedes aegypti (the yellow fever mosquito), carries even more illnesses: dengue fever, the Zika virus, yellow fever, chikungunya, and many other nasty infections. They’re gross.

Blood Meals

“They are very mobile and can move over distances [of] a few miles. [That allows] them to have some trajectory in finding their blood meals and spreading disease in the process,” Dr. Amesh Adalja, infectious disease specialist said.