Difference between common mosquito and tiger mosquito bites

Currently, the tiger mosquito has arrived in our country to stay. This mosquito, whose origin is Southeast Asia, is already present in 17 Spanish provinces and in a stable manner in 12 of them. This raises the question of what is the best way to control it. difference between a common mosquito bite and a tiger mosquito bite in order to avoid them if we are in their area of action.

Autonomous communities such as Andalusia and the rest of the Mediterranean coast already have the presence of these mosquitoes which have their period of activity between May and October. This leads to the appearance of mosquito spraying campaigns and the need to increase precautions against these insects.

What do we know about the common mosquito and the tiger mosquito?

Before knowing the difference between the bite of each, let's discuss some physical characteristics of the common and tiger mosquitoes.

Common mosquito 

The scientific name is Culex and is a mosquito that is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions and is a carrier of some diseases such as the West Nile virus.

Within this genus there are species such as the Culex quinquefasciatus or the Culex pipiensamong others. For the most part, they are the females are the cause of the sting. It has a medium size and is brown color. 

The sting it produces has a "comma" shape and is considered an urban type. It is nocturnal and prefers to enter houses.

Tiger mosquito

In Spain it is considered an invasive species. It differs from others by having a white stripe in the center of the thorax that reaches the head and with striped legs. This insect is a vector of diseases such as Zika or Dengueamong others. For this reason, it is important to prevent its bite and thus avoid the diseases that can be transmitted by the tiger mosquito.

It has diurnal habit and does not usually enter houses.Although it has a habit of life linked to that of humans, since they lay their eggs in wheels, flowerpots, other objects susceptible to retain rainwater and areas of stagnant water such as lakes or puddles.

How can we know which mosquito has bitten us?

There are a number of differences between the bite of the common mosquito and that of the tiger mosquito that can help us to clarify our doubts.

• The tiger mosquito is more aggressive than the common mosquito and, in addition, itches throughout the day. It usually does so between 6 and 10 in the morning and 4 to 10 at night.
• It makes several stings in one sitting.
• Their stings are more painfulThe mosquito bites are more stinging and last longer than those of the common mosquito.
• When they bite, they can go through clothing.
• Reactions in the body are more evident than those of the common mosquito, with greater inflammation and may even cause fever.

In short, the tiger bites create further discomfortThe consequences are not so serious as to be considered dangerous.

In reality, the danger of this mosquito comes from its high capacity for the transmission of viral diseases of tropical origin.

Other differences between the common and tiger mosquitoes

But apart from the differences already mentioned, it is also necessary to take into account the reproductive capacity and life form of each mosquito species.

• The common mosquito looks brownish or dark brown, while the tiger is black with a white stripe on the abdomen and white striped hind legs.
• It has easier to reproduce than the common mosquito.The female can produce up to 80 new mosquitoes in a week.
• The tiger mosquito needs less water to reproduceThe focus is on small-sized standing waters.
• The tiger flies lower than the common variant, which means that its bites are mainly on the lower extremities.

Tips to keep mosquitoes at bay

If there is something similar between the common mosquito and the tiger mosquito, it is that they bite and that these bites can be quite annoying. To avoid their presence as much as possible we can do these tricks:

• Wear light-colored clothing and avoid using perfume (it attracts insects).
• Placing physical barriers such as mosquito nets in places where mosquitoes are present, in order to prevent them from entering the house.
• Eliminate stagnant water in pots and garden objects.
• Use of effective electrical insecticides that can repel mosquitoes from entering the home or immediate vicinity.

As we have seen, they are significant differences between the two types of mosquitoes. Be that as it may, it is always better to avoid the annoying bites of these insects and use remedies such as mosquito nets.