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Wednesday, May. 7, 2025

Are female mosquitoes the only ones that drink blood? 

Deanna Pistono, MinnPost
yes

Female mosquitoes need to drink blood of some kind in order to lay eggs. Male mosquitoes, which do not lay eggs, subsist primarily on nectar. A male mosquito’s proboscis – its elongated feeding-tube mouth – is not able to pierce skin, unlike a female mosquito’s proboscis.

But that might not be the only reason they drink blood.

Research from the University of Cincinnati earlier this year found that mosquitoes may be able to survive periods of drought by drinking blood not for egg production, but for hydration. This, said researcher Christopher Holmes, could give the insects more opportunities to spread diseases, such as malaria or dengue fever.

Disease-causing mosquitoes are most active from July to October, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.

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