Ask Tappity: Science Questions for Kids > Why Do Mosquito Bites Itch?
Why Do Mosquito Bites Itch?
If you’ve ever had a camping trip ruined by an ankle-full of mosquito bites, you might have wondered - why do they itch so much? Watch this video to find out, or read our explanation below!
Mosquitos Put Decoagulant Your Blood
When you get a cut, your blood coagulates - it makes a scab. This is to prevent further blood loss through the wound. If your blood did that when a mosquito inserted its proboscis inside your skin, the mosquito wouldn’t be able to drink any. To prevent this, the mosquito secretes its saliva, which contains a de-coagulating agent, into your bloodstream, which keeps your blood from hardening.
Allergic Reaction Causes Itching
The mosquito bite and the decoagulant are all actually harmless. The cut is tiny - too small for you to even notice. So what’s up with the itching? Well, your body recognizes the mosquito’s saliva as a foreign object, and initiates an immune response. It floods the site with histamines, a normal response to injury that also causes itching and swelling. It's the same response the body produces in response to pollen and other allergens. Basically, your body has an allergic reaction to mosquito saliva.
Mosquito Immunity?
You can actually become immune to mosquito bites. After enough bites from the same mosquito species, your body will stop reacting - scientists successfully did this in an experiment. However, it took hundreds of bites a week for 6 months for the test subjects to become immune. So, it's up to you if it's worth it!
Mosquito Facts for Kids
Got mosquito questions? We’ve got mosquito answers!
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Scratching risks breaking the skin, which can lead to infection.
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Some people really do get bit more by mosquitos than others. Genetic traits that aren’t fully understood, but that definitely exist, make some people more prone to mosquitos.
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Mosquitos have two compound eyes, just like most insects. A compound eye contains thousands of individual lenses - unlike your eyes, they don’t focus. Each lens moves on its own. They all capture a small picture, which the mosquitos brain combines into a single image.
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Mosquitos giant round eyes let them see a huge field of vision, all around their bodies, so they see you coming. Second, mosquitos are fast - faster than you can move your hand. Finally, mosquitos don’t have to move as far to get out of the way as your hand does to swat them. The best approach? Slap them from both sides.
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Mosquitos have two wings. Most insects have 4, but mosquitos are true bugs, a group of insects with just two wings.
More Answers to Insect Questions from Kids
How do caterpillars turn into butterflies? How do bees make honey? The Tappity Entomology Library has interactive lessons with answers to those questions and more!
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