6 mosquito facts to equip you as the summer battle rages on

The mosquito count might be down this year compared to last, but that doesn't matter when you're itching all over. 

For those of you who consider mosquitoes the enemy of your backyard summer barbecue or weekend hiking expedition, take a page out of Chinese military general and philosopher Sun Tzu's book:

"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles."

We'll leave the knowing yourself part up to you. As for your enemy? 

Here are six things you may or may not have known about the pesky little bloodsuckers. 

1. Toothless sugar eaters

Mosquitoes mainly eat sugar, which is found in plant nectar, fruit juice and other plant secretions.

Only the females drink blood, which provides them with the protein required for egg production.

They don't actually have teeth, but they "bite" with a long, pointed mouthpart called a proboscis, which pierces the skin, finds a capillary and draws out blood.

2. Long-distance sniffers

The breath we exhale is typically the first thing that draws a mosquito near. 

That's because mosquitoes can smell carbon dioxide from as far as 20 metres away. 

"If you have really big lungs, you're going to attract more mosquitoes right off the bat," said University of Calgary entomologist John Swann.

From roughly 10 metres away, mosquitoes hone in on colour. Darker, vibrant colours are easier for them to see.

At 10 centimetres, the bugs seek out heat and moisture.

3. Thousands of types

Worldwide, there are roughly 3,000 species. 

Alberta has about 45 kinds of mosquitoes, 20 of which can be found in Calgary at different times throughout the summer.

Most of these are floodwater species, meaning they overwinter in the soil as eggs in areas that are prone to seasonal flooding. Then they hatch during spring and summer rains.

4. Week-long life cycle

Mosquitoes can run through a lifecycle in as little as seven days in optimal conditions. 

The ideal temperature is between 22 C and 27 C during the day, and roughly 20 at night, said Swann.

Because Calgary's temperatures are currently cooler than that, Swann said it's likely most mosquitoes won't die off that quickly.

5. Some are hibernators

Though they're small, some adults can last through the winter by hibernating.

Females can find a warm spot to spend the colder months, but as soon as they wake up in the springtime, they need to feed on blood and deposit their eggs.

6. Malaria and Zika, but not HIV

Mosquitoes are known for carrying and spreading harmful diseases among humans, including malaria, dengue and more recently Zika. 

However, mosquitoes cannot transmit HIV/AIDS.

There is no transfer of blood when a mosquito bites — only saliva is injected into the skin. Furthermore, the AIDS virus cannot replicate inside the mosquito.