It flies silently and then bites: the black mosquito. It is only three to four millimeters in size and at first glance it looks like a harmless fly. However, their toxic saliva causes swelling and severe itching.
Black mosquitoes like to crawl under the clothing of walkers. They are particularly active on flowing waters. If there are no cattle nearby, the bloodsuckers also attack people.
Black mosquito bite: rasp instead of sting
The female black mosquito (Latin: Simuliidae) does not sting to get the blood, but grates a small wound with its sharp mouth tool. The insect scratches soft skin areas with it until a small pool of lymphatic fluid is created. She then sucks it up and injects a protein cocktail that locally inhibits coagulation and numbs the nerves. Black mosquitoes belong to the so-called “pool vacuums”.
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However, there is nothing to fear from male black flies. They feed exclusively on plant juices.
Symptoms: swelling and itching
The toxic mosquito saliva and the tissue hormone histamine, which is released when the bite, lead to severe itching and swelling of the skin. There may also be bruises that can itch for weeks.
The mosquito bites are very painful. In contrast to the bites of a mosquito, you immediately feel the attack of a black mosquito. A small red dot forms at the bite site, since blood can still flow after the bite.
How to treat black mosquito bites
Black Mosquito: the insects do not sting, but grate.
The onset of pain and itching leads to scratching. However, you should definitely not do this, as this can cause pathogens to easily penetrate the wound from your hands.
Initial treatment can be done with your own saliva. A little spit has a cooling effect at first. Normal allergy agents from the pharmacy then help against the inflammatory swelling. You can also treat the affected area with a heat stick and cortisone cream. A disinfectant also helps to reduce the risk of inflammation.
Allergy and disease
However, if you experience particularly large swellings, you should have your blood tested for an allergy. In the worst case, an allergic reaction can affect the circulation and become life-threatening.
Painful bites, such as those of the black mosquito, can in rare cases lead to inflammation. The mosquito’s bite tools sometimes contain bacteria that can cause pain and fever in the human body. In these cases, treatment with antibiotics can be useful.
In Germany, however, the likelihood of infection is very low. In African countries, insects can transmit river blindness. Roundworms get into the human body through the bite of the black mosquitoes and can trigger an infection that endangers the eyes and can even lead to blindness. Since black mosquitoes mainly live near flowing waters, the name of the disease is river blindness.
Inflammation of the lymphatic vessels
The bites of the black mosquito are not only particularly unpleasant, they also often lead to inflammation of the lymphatic vessels. This creates a red streak on the skin, which in the past was often misinterpreted as blood poisoning, but is far from being so dangerous.
However, you should see a doctor about this symptom. This is also advisable for swellings, wheals or reddening that go well beyond the area of the sting, especially if symptoms such as fever or lymph node swelling are added.
How to drive away black flies
Black Mosquito: The biting insects look a little like little flies. (Source: dpa)
Substances with essential oils such as citrus or eucalyptus tend not to help against the mosquitoes. Insect repellants containing, for example, the substances diethyltoluamide (DEET) or icaridin are better. They repel mosquitoes with their fragrance.
Products that contain around 30 percent DEET – a chemical insect repellent – offer good protection. They work for four to five hours, after which you should reapply them on the skin. You don’t need any special protection indoors because the black mosquito usually stays outdoors.
If you also want to protect yourself against mosquitoes: We have summarized the best tips for you.
Whom black mosquitoes like to bite
In particular cattle and horses that graze near water are often plagued by the black mosquito. One or the other animal sometimes knocks out to drive away the mosquitoes. The black gnat also bites people when there are no animals around.
Their way of biting also has an advantage for humans: clothes with long sleeves and pants protect against mosquitoes. This is different from gnats with proboscis. If you are outside in regions with many black mosquitoes – especially at dawn and dusk, but also during the day – it is best to cover as much skin as possible.
Black mosquito alarm also in cities
Black mosquitoes feel more and more comfortable in this country. In southern Germany, along the Rhine and the Oder, in Berlin and North Rhine-Westphalia, there have already been cases of people who have been bitten.
Since black mosquitoes love to be humid and warm, floods in early summer and flowing waters offer the insects optimal conditions: the female mosquito lays up to a thousand eggs. Four generations of black mosquitoes can hatch each year. This creates particularly large populations.
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Important NOTE: The information is by no means a substitute for professional advice or treatment by trained and recognized doctors. The content of t-online.de cannot and must not be used to independently diagnose or start treatment.
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