Mosquitoes Bite, Sand Flies Bite and Fleas bite. We as dogs are not safe.

Information about Jack Russell’s. All you need

Back to main Website<<<

I thought i would add some information about problems in Spain for dogs. You do need to make sure that all dogs are protected from heartworm if you do not you really should not have a dog.

Why do mosquitoes bite? Only female mosquitoes bite. Female mosquitoes require a blood meal to acquire the protein needed to produce eggs. Females lay multiple batches of eggs during their lifespan, and a new blood meal is needed to produce each batch. Different mosquito species prefer different host species; some mosquitoes will seek blood meals from birds, others from mammals - and some are generalists. The female inserts her needle-like proboscis - a slender, tubular, feeding and sucking organ - under the victim’s skin, drawing blood into her abdomen. She will feed until her abdomen is full, unless discovered and brushed away.

Why do mosquitoes seem to bite some people, but not others? This phenomenon is not completely understood. Mosquitoes are attracted by the carbon dioxide that we - and other animals - exhale. They may also be attracted by various odors - perfume, perspiration, lactic acid, detergents - that combine in unique ways to make one victim more attractive than another as a meal. Because dark colors absorb heat and lighter colors tend to reflect heat, mosquitoes also tend to be more attracted to victims dressed in darker clothes. Also, some people react more violently to the bites than others and only appear to be bitten more often.

Why do mosquitoes bites itch and swell? The itching, swelling, and burning from a mosquito bite are actually caused by the body’s autoimmune response to the saliva injected by the mosquito when she feeds. This saliva contains anti-coagulating agents that prevent the victim’s blood from clotting as it is sucked into the mosquito’s abdomen. A bite may take several days to heal and stop itching; treat it with Calamine lotion or a topical anti-itch medication.

Where do mosqu Mosquitoes breed in wet, swampy areas, where they lay their eggs. The eggs hatch in the water, and the young mosquitoes spend their pupal stages in the water. Mosquitoes lay eggs in both fresh and polluted water, and seek still waters such as those found in small puddles, ditches, and ponds. Even a small amount of standing water - say, in the bottom of a flower pot - will provide sufficient habitat for mosquito eggs. These eggs usually hatch about 5 days after they are laid. A key factor in mosquito prevention is the elimination of standing water in an area.

What is the average lifespan of a mosquito? Like most insects, mosquitoes are a prime food source for birds, amphibians, and spiders. Between predators and extreme weather events such as drought and harsh rains, most mosquitoes live for an average of about two weeks in their adult form. If they manage to escape predators, females from some mosquito species live to about two to three months of age. Those females who enter adult form late in the season may go into hibernation as cooler weather approaches, and can emerge the following spring to lay eggs. In many species, eggs laid before the onset of cold weather can also survive through a winter, even without water, re-hydrating in spring rains to go through larval, pupal, and adult stages.

How many types of mosquitoes are there? According to the American Mosquito Control Association, there are more than 2500 species of mosquitoes world-wide.

Sand Flies

These include any insect of the family Phlebotomidae of the order Diptera. The aquatic larvae live in the inter-tidal zone of coastal beaches, in mud, or in wet organic debris. The adults are often called biting midges and are only 2 to 3 mm in length making them difficult to see.

Sand flies are found in almost any aquatic or semiaquatic habitat throughout the world. Many of the blood-sucking species are pests in beach or mountain habitats. They may also be vectors of disease-causing viruses, protozoa, and filarial worms. The bite is not painful but often causes an allergic response which becomes very itchy. Some people get a red weal 1-2 inches wide! Avoid scratching the weals; it makes them itch longer and can lead to infection.

<!–[if !vml]–><!–[endif]–>Sand flies are of considerable medical importance: around the Mediterranean and in southern Asia, Phlebotomus transmits the pappataci fever virus; and in parts of South America, Africa, and Asia it carries the protozoan parasites causing kala azar, Oriental sore, espundia, and bartonellosis.

The name sand fly is also used for certain species of the black fly and the biting midge. They are often referred to as No-See-Ums because you rarely see them.

<!–[if !vml]–><!–[endif]–> <!–[if !vml]–><!–[endif]–>Fleas

Adult fleas are about 2mm long, wingless, and have three pairs of legs. The hind pair of legs is modified for jumping. Fleas are reddish-brown in colour and vertically flat like a fish, and can move easily through the hair of a host. They feed on the blood of their hosts.Fleas breed wherever their host sleeps. Flea eggs are small and white. The larvae of the flea look like small white worms with dark heads. They live on the floor and feed on organic debris. They form pupae which can lie dormant until they sense a suitable host passing by and then they come out to feed.The human flea, (Pulex Irritans), is almost extinct in Europe but other types of animal flea are much more common and will bite humans especially when they cannot find their usual animal host or if they become very numerous. Their bite often leaves a small, red, irritated area.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 28th, 2008 at 11:41 am and is filed under About Yogi and Misty, Dog Health Care. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.