Mosquitos!?

Question

I am TERRIFIED of mosquitos. Not the little ones, but the HUGE ones as long as an index finger that look kinda like spiders. I left my bedroom window wide open, and one found its way into my room. I saw it, and freaked out and went to go get the Raid. When I walked back in my room, I couldn't find it, and I was exhausted and didn't feel like getting bitten all night, so I slept on the couch. Now I'm kind of afraid to go back into my room, not gonna lie. What's the average lifespan of a mosquito? Is it dead by now?

Oh, and I'm terribly sorry if I posted this in the wrong section, there's not really a bug and insects section..

Answer 1

Hi.
I'm an undergrad at Mcgill University studying both wildlife and insects. I used to be afraid of those bid mosquito-like things too, until one day in my insect biology class our prof showed us a picture of one of them and told us it was a Crane fly.

Here's some info on them:
Crane Flies (Tipulidae) are delicate insects varying in size from ¼ inch to as large as 1½ inches in length. The largest crane flies are sometimes called "daddy-long-legs", "gully nippers", or "mosquito hawks". However, THEY DO NOT BITE PEOPLE and they do not eat mosquitoes. Some species of crane flies emerge from aquatic sources and others from terrestrial or decaying vegetation sources. Crane flies are not predacious and usually many times larger than a typical mosquito. Adults are strongly attracted to porch lights. The larvae live in loose soil or organic matter and feed on the roots of plants.

They are in fact harmless, and I'll tell you that many of us in class were really relieved to hear that, they just look very terrifying.

I'd suggest looking up Crane Fly adults on google images and seeing if that's what you saw. You might be able to sleep better at night.

Good luck!

Answer 2

You are being scared by craneflies....they are gigantic and completely, completely harmless!! They do not even eat as adults (the larvae live in water, just like mosquitos)...so they will not and can not bite you. They just bumble around and are attracted to lights like many insects. They have one goal as a flying adult...mate, and for the females to then go find a stream or pond to lay eggs in before they die.

Please don't squirt raid all over when you see insects...instead learn about them and help keep our environment more pesticide free. There is WAY more harm in you breathing the raid fumes than being inconvenienced by seeing a harmless cranefly.

Answer 3

That was most likely an ichneumon fly. They do look like giant mosquitoes. Everything I have read says that they are harmess to people and that they lay their eggs in the caterpillars that harm trees. Try a photo search for this fly.

Answer 4

yes im terrified of those too. one got into my room but it didn't bite me or anything like that. i just pull covers over my head and go to sleep. without food i think a mosquito would last a couple of days.

Answer 5

maybe, in the world of mosquitoes, female are the earning pillar of a family... lol or i think both, female and male bites us, but malaria is spread by female mosquitos!

Answer 6

You could be talking about the males of some species of mosquitoes. And they don't eat blood meals, only the females do.

Answer 7

it sounds liek you're talking about crane flies ...i don't think those bother you i haven't had one bit me ever
look up crane flies to see if its the same one you saw

they lot like big *** mosquitos

Answer 8

The big ones won't bite you, worry about the little ones, they hurt.

Answer 9

That is not a mosquito, it is a mosquito hawk, they eat mosquitos. Please leave them alone, they don't bite.

Answer 10

if they bite they will fester, you should use a topical antibiotic lotion