By Jake Sepulveda

Mosquitoes aren’t just irritating, they can actually be quite dangerous. When one of these little blood-suckers lands on your skin to take a drink, they insert a needle like proboscis into your skin and inject you with an anti-coagulant, making it easier for them to drink…. but that’s not all they’re sending your way.

Mosquitoes aren’t just capable of spreading malaria, dengue fever, encephalitis (infection of the brain), yellow fever, and more… the are actively doing so all over the world. Currently infecting roughly 250 million+ people a year, these truly are pests of a dangerous nature.

With the fairly recent discovery that some animals and insects are capable of spreading prions (rabies, madcow, etc.) without harm to themselves, it will just be a matter of time until these little voracious pests are added to the list.

When in areas that have an abundance of mosquitoes, avoid stagnant water, wear long-sleeve shirts, pants and head netting, get yourself some bug spray* and get out of there as fast as you can. Even if you don’t become infected by one of the hundreds of diseases mosquitoes are currently capable of spreading or even turn into a Zombie, it’s likely that you will be bitten and have to contend with itching and mild swelling for the next few days.

*Not all brands or types of insect repellants work equally for everyone. Experiment with what works best for you and your body type, then stock up. Keep in mind that many breeds of mosquito are developing immunities to DEET and other widely used chemicals and remedies, so try to vary your treatment on occasion.