Mosquitoes Drill Under Human Skin with 6 Hollow Needles [Video]
You'll never think about those warm summer evenings the same way again
By Eliene Augenbraun
This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
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A female mosquito needs blood to feed their offspring. Mom uses a saw-like sucker to probe under the skin for a nice, juicy capillary. She uses another smooth needle to inject itch-inducing blood thinners to keep her meal moving smoothly. It's bad enough that she invades our bodies this way, but the act of sucking and injecting can spread viruses and parasites, including the microbes that carry malaria, West Nile virus, Zika and other scary diseases.
This video shows you how it happens
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