Why do mosquitoes bite?

Summary

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Brains On! Science Podcast for Kids

Episode: Why do mosquitoes bite?

Date: June 30, 2026
Host: Molly Bloom with kid co-host Ayaan (Chicago, IL)
Guests:

• Lyric Bartholomew (Medical Entomologist, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison)
• Chris Potter (Neuroscience Professor, Johns Hopkins University)
• Nali Molly (Itch researcher, UC Berkeley)
• Special appearances: Mosquito character ("Colin"), Pain and Itch Neurons

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Episode Overview

This episode tackles the ever-annoying question: why do mosquitoes bite, and why do their bites itch? With the playful help of a talking mosquito, expert guests, and the Brains On! team, listeners learn about the science behind mosquito bites, why only some people get bitten more, and what mosquitoes actually contribute to the world. Fun skits, a debunked fart hoax, and deep questions from kids make this a lively and fact-packed listen.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Anatomy of a Mosquito Bite

Timestamps: 02:05 – 04:23

• The source of the “buzz” is revealed to be a mosquito—in this case, a talkative one named Colin.
• Mosquitoes use a specialized mouth with six needle-like parts: saws to pierce skin, holders to keep the wound open, a tube to suck blood, and another to inject saliva.

  "There are six different needle looking structures here that help me get my blood meal." — Mosquito (Colin) [03:03]

• The saliva keeps blood from clotting so mosquitoes can feed quickly and escape.

Why Mosquitoes Bite

• Only female mosquitoes bite, needing blood’s protein to make eggs.

  "Actually, only female mosquitoes bite because we need the protein in blood to make eggs. And eventually, little baby mosquitoes." — Mosquito (Colin) [03:54]

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2. Why Do Mosquito Bites Itch and Swell?

Timestamps: 05:17 – 06:05

• The real culprit behind the itch: mosquito saliva (not the bite itself).
• Saliva contains proteins that make your immune system panic, causing redness, swelling, and itch.

  "The proteins in the saliva are causing your immune system to just go wild." — Lyric Bartholomew [05:38]

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3. The Itch-Scratch Cycle—Why Scratching Feels So Good

Timestamps: 06:09 – 09:19

• Itching and scratching are sensed by different neurons in the skin.

  "The neurons that feel itching are different from the neurons that feel the scratching." — Ayaan [06:47]

• Scratching triggers pain neurons, which temporarily drown out the itch signals—so scratching feels “rewarding” even though it doesn’t fix the problem.

  "By stopping the itch, your brain is feeling really rewarded. Because when you're already feeling itch, that pain actually feels good." — Nali Molly [08:33]

• Eventually, the itch returns, and scratching can actually make things worse by damaging the skin.

Pro Tip from the Episode:

• Try rubbing an ice cube (or using something cold/hot) to help dull the itch, since temperature neurons can distract from the itch signals.

  "Please try that instead of scratching." — Itch Neuron (character) [09:41]

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4. Why Some People Get Bitten More (And Why Some Don’t Itch)

Timestamps: 16:51 – 17:48

• Everyone smells “good” to mosquitoes, but some people’s skin chemistry is especially attractive.

• Skin bacteria help create complex odors—some more alluring to mosquitoes than others.

  "Some people are giving off certain chemicals that allow them to smell better to mosquitoes. Other people actually have some chemicals on their skin that don't smell quite as nice to a mosquito." — Chris Potter [17:29]

• Some people simply don't react to bites, so they don’t notice them as much.

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5. Mosquito Repellents & Hoaxes

Timestamps: 13:01 – 15:11

• Fun hoax segment debunks viral stories like a Ugandan man whose farts supposedly killed mosquitoes. It’s false—source was a satirical news site.

  "Turns out his farts weren't the only thing that smelled funny. The article was completely made up." — Sandon Tauden [14:14]

• DEET is presented as the “gold standard” repellent. It works three ways:

  • Changes how you smell, so mosquitoes can’t find you.
  • Smells bad to mosquitoes (“nose” neurons in their antenna).
  • Tastes bad to mosquitoes’ feet, so they jump away when they land.

  "When you put DEET on your skin, it prevents other odors on your skin from being volatilized... you just don't smell like a human anymore." — Chris Potter [15:42]

• Myths like dryer sheets, eating garlic, and mouthwash: little scientific support.

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6. Mosquitoes’ Role in Nature

Timestamps: 20:45 – 22:45

• Mosquitoes are an essential food source for birds, bats, and other animals — they have an ecological purpose, despite being pests.

  "They play an important role in the ecosystem... a really essential part of the food chain." — Lyric Bartholomew [21:03]

• Removing all mosquitoes harms the food web; some birds may lay unhealthy eggs without mosquito nutrition.
• But only a handful of the thousands of mosquito species spread disease.
• New strategies (like infecting mosquitoes with Wolbachia bacteria) target only harmful species, leaving the rest of the ecosystem intact.

  "Scientists are working on ways to control the small number of mosquito species that do spread disease in pathogens." — Ayaan [22:00]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Mosquito technicalities:

  "I’m a mosquito and I’m here to show you my mouthparts." — Mosquito (Colin) [02:57]

• How to stop the itch:

  “It just itches and itches and itches. And you have to wait for it to go down before the bite actually goes away.” — Ayaan [05:04]

• Why we scratch:

  "Itch is also a really unpleasant sensation. Just as we think pain is an unpleasant sensation. And so, by stopping the itch, your brain is feeling really rewarded." — Nali Molly [08:33]

• Busted fart myth:

  "Turns out his farts weren't the only thing that smelled funny. The article was completely made up." — Sandon Tauden [14:14]

• Defense of mosquitoes:

  "The environment benefits from mosquitoes being there because mosquitoes feed all kinds of animals." — Lyric Bartholomew [20:53]

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Key Timestamps

• 02:05: Identifying the mosquito and discussion of mosquito mouthparts
• 03:54: Why female mosquitoes bite
• 05:17: Why bites swell up and itch
• 06:09 – 08:52: The science behind scratching an itch and why it feels good
• 13:01 – 14:48: Hoax Hunters debunking the “mosquito-killing fart” myth
• 15:11 – 17:29: How mosquito repellents (like DEET) work and why some people get bitten more
• 20:45 – 22:45: Mosquitoes’ role in the ecosystem and new control strategies

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Key Takeaways

• Mosquitoes bite with a complex mouth structure and inject saliva, which causes our immune system to create the itchy bump.
• Scratching a bite feels good temporarily because pain neurons outcompete itch signals, but it can actually make things worse.
• Everyone attracts mosquitoes, but some are more attractive based on individual skin chemistry and reactions.
• Hoaxes about bug repellents abound, but DEET’s effectiveness is well supported.
• Mosquitoes are valuable in ecosystems, serving as food for many species; only a few mosquito species are dangerous disease vectors.
• Scientists are focused on targeted solutions, like Wolbachia bacteria, to control harmful mosquitoes without harming the environment.

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Fun Mystery Sound

• Sound: Dropping a rock into a steel pipe well (not laser tag, as guessed!)
• [19:46]: Mystery sound revealed by listener Brazen from Seattle.

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Final Facts Recap (23:08 – 23:37)

• Female mosquitoes use six mouthparts to bite.
• Mosquito spit is what makes bites itch.
• Scratching offers temporary relief but can cause more harm.
• All humans are attractive to mosquitoes; repellents help mask our scent.
• Only some species spread disease; others are important for the ecosystem.

---

This episode is packed with facts, quirky sketches, and genuine kid questions—perfect for curious listeners wanting to know the itchy truth about mosquitoes!

Transcript

[Molly Bloom]

Lemonade.

[Ayaan]

Brains on Universe. You're listening to Brains on where? We're serious about being curious.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay, Ayaan, we're getting started with the taping in just a sec.

[Ayaan]

Okay, awesome. Where do I sit?

[Lyric Bartholomew]

Shh.

[Molly Bloom]

Do you hear that?

[Ayaan]

Hear what?

[Molly Bloom]

There it is.

[Ayaan]

I don't hear anything. Oh, wait, I hear it now.

[Itch Neuron]

It's weird.

[Molly Bloom]

Like, one second it's there and then it's not. Okay, we gotta figure this out before we start taping. Manika.

[Ayaan]

Yeah.

[Molly Bloom]

Molly, do you hear that noise? Uh, no.

[Ayaan]

It sounds a little bit like this Buz.

[Molly Bloom]

Actually, I think it's like a little higher pitched. Like this, like.

[Ayaan]

Molly, I respectfully disagree. It's definitely like a buz.

[Molly Bloom]

No, no, it's like this maneka.

[Ayaan]

Trust me.

[Mosquito (Colin)]

Hmm.

[Ayaan]

Maneka. My younger ears are far more sensitive. It's like this Bz.

[Molly Bloom]

No, no, it's like.

[Ayaan]

No, no, it's like this.

[Molly Bloom]

It seems like you guys have to work this out. I'll leave this to you all and see myself out. Wait, I heard it.

[Ayaan]

Oh, me too. I. I think it's over there, but

[Molly Bloom]

I think it's underneath. It's underneath your chair.

[Pain Neuron]

No.

[Mosquito (Colin)]

Good taping.

[Lyric Bartholomew]

Bye.

[Mosquito (Colin)]

It's underneath my chair.

[Ayaan]

Is this under yours?

[Molly Bloom]

Oh, wait, no. I think it's up by the ceiling.

[Pain Neuron]

What?

[Ayaan]

It's going from the corner of the room.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh yeah. Wait, but now it's the other cor.

[Mark Sanchez]

Wait.

[Molly Bloom]

You're listening to Brainsan. I'm Molly Bloom and my co host today is Ayane from Chicago, Illinois. Hi, Ayaan.

[Ayaan]

Hi Molly and bz. There's that noise again. Oh, there's the source. It's a mosquito.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh, nice work, Ayan. Okay, I'll just swat this thing and get on with the show.

[Mosquito (Colin)]

Wait, don't slap.

[Molly Bloom]

What the. What? A talking mosquito?

[Mosquito (Colin)]

Hey, when you hang around a recording studio long enough, you pick up a few things, huh? I'm a huge fan of podcasts. I've been trying to work my way in here for days.

[Molly Bloom]

Welcome, I guess. And hey, as long as you're here, maybe you could help us answer this question that was sent in from Provo, Utah.

[Mosquito (Colin)]

Hello, I am Colin. My question is, how do mosquitoes suck out your blood? Great question, Colin.

[Molly Bloom]

Um, that's usually my line.

[Mosquito (Colin)]

Well, take a look at these mouthparts here.

[Molly Bloom]

You'll have to describe them. This is a podcast.

[Mosquito (Colin)]

Oh yeah, I'm a mosquito and I'm here to show you my mouthparts.

[Molly Bloom]

Tell. Don't show.

[Mosquito (Colin)]

Oh yeah, there are six different needle looking structures here that help Me get my blood meal. These two, These ones that look like little saws. They're for piercing your skin. And these two, these ones hold the skin open so that I can stick this other needle into one of your blood vessels. That's the one that sucks up the blood. And then this last one injects some of my saliva into your blood.

[Lyric Bartholomew]

Ew.

[Mosquito (Colin)]

Why?

[Ayaan]

That's just. That's just gross.

[Mosquito (Colin)]

It's not gross. It's useful. My spit does all sorts of amazing things to your blood chemistry. It keeps your blood from clotting and also opens your blood vessels wider. This helps me eat faster so I can get out there before you squish me. I see.

[Ayaan]

Well, here's a thought. How about maybe just not biting us? Your chances of getting squished would go way down.

[Mosquito (Colin)]

Yeah, about that. See, I kind of need the blood. Actually, only female mosquitoes bite because we need the protein in blood to make eggs. And eventually little baby mosquitoes. They're so cute. They kind of look like little spiky dandelions.

[Molly Bloom]

Sounds adorable.

[Mosquito (Colin)]

You know, no one has ever taken the time to chat with me. Thank you so much, Molly, for having me here today.

[Molly Bloom]

Well, this actually worked out really well.

[Mosquito (Colin)]

High five.

[Molly Bloom]

Mosquito. Oops. Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba.

[Mark Sanchez]

Brains on.

[Molly Bloom]

Wow. So apparently mosquitoes bite us with mouth parts that are almost like a six part Swiss army knife. So Ayan, do you get mosquito bites?

[Ayaan]

I get lots of mosquito bites. Especially in the summer when I'm playing with my friends outside. Like soccer, baseball. Even when you're just running, the mosquitoes, they just bite us and bite us and it's really annoying and itches a lot.

[Molly Bloom]

So do you have any tips or like, how to make him stop itching?

[Ayaan]

I would recommend using bug spray. It just really works really well.

[Molly Bloom]

Good advice. And what about once you get that mosquito bite, how do you make it stop itching? Or does it just itch and itch and itch?

[Ayaan]

It just itches and itches and itches. And you have to wait for it to go down before, like, the bite actually goes away.

[Molly Bloom]

Yeah, that can take a while. That brings us to something that you wondered about, Ayaan.

[Ayaan]

Why do mosquito bites swell up and itch?

[Molly Bloom]

Now that our mosquito guest is no longer with us, we have a human mosquito expert who's agreed to help us.

[Lyric Bartholomew]

My name is Lyric Bartholomew.

[Molly Bloom]

She's a medical entomologist from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Remember that saliva we heard about earlier? That's the key to the itch.

[Lyric Bartholomew]

There's Actually, a whole series of different proteins inside mosquito spit. The proteins in the saliva are causing your immune system to just go wild. Your body's recognizing that there's something there that wasn't supposed to be there.

[Molly Bloom]

So your immune system responds and you get an inflammatory response, which is that familiar itchy, swelling redness.

[Lyric Bartholomew]

She doesn't really mean to do it, but you get a. An itchy bite left behind.

[Ayaan]

And next comes scratching.

[Molly Bloom]

Another very popular topic for questions.

[Ayaan]

Hi, my name is Chloe. I live in Coeur d', Alene, Idaho. My question is, why does scratching an itch make you satisfied?

[Mosquito (Colin)]

I started thinking about this one day

[Ayaan]

because I had an itch.

[Mosquito (Colin)]

So I started scratching.

[Ayaan]

It felt really good, but then I

[Mosquito (Colin)]

had to scratch it again to make it feel satisfied.

[Molly Bloom]

The thing is, scratching mosquito bites feels so good.

[Ayaan]

But then your itchiness usually comes back to you.

[Molly Bloom]

So what gives?

[Ayaan]

Well, you feel itching and scratching with cells in your skin called neurons.

[Molly Bloom]

Neurons sense what's going on in your skin and they tell your brain about it.

[Ayaan]

But the neurons that feel itching are different from the neurons that feel the scratching.

[Molly Bloom]

So there's a cycle of itching and scratching. It's almost like a dramatic phone call between two kinds of neurons.

[Ayaan]

So Nali Molly told us about it. She studies itch at UC Berkeley.

[Lyric Bartholomew]

Yeah.

[Nali Molly]

So your itch neurons can tell that there is mosquito and that there is some chemical that the mosquitoes put into your skin.

[Pain Neuron]

Ah, I'm an itch neuron, and I feel an itch, and I've gotta get that to the brain. Ah, pick up, pick up, pick up, pick up, pick up.

[Itch Neuron]

Hi, itch neuron. What you need.

[Nali Molly]

And I tell your brain you're gonna experience an itchiness in this spot right here. Say it's on your arm.

[Pain Neuron]

Brain, it's your arm. There's an itch. You've gotta scratch it.

[Itch Neuron]

Okay, you got it. I'll move the fingers and start scratching. Do we need to keep talking?

[Pain Neuron]

Yes, Stay on the line. It's still itchy. Ah, it's still itchy.

[Nali Molly]

So another set of neurons that respond to scratching, and these are pain neurons, will get activated and they'll start out competing the itch signal to your brain. And so you don't really feel the itchiness at that moment.

[Molly Bloom]

Uh, scratching. I'm a pain neuron, and I feel that scratch as pain brain.

[Mosquito (Colin)]

Pick up my call.

[Ayaan]

Sorry, itch.

[Itch Neuron]

Another call is coming in.

[Brazen]

Hi.

[Molly Bloom]

Listen, pain neuron, your arm is in pain.

[Mosquito (Colin)]

Huh?

[Itch Neuron]

So we're kind of going from itch to ouch.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay.

[Pain Neuron]

Uh, Brain, I still have itch messages. Hello? Hello? Why would you choose pain over an itch?

[Nali Molly]

Itch is also a really unpleasant sensation. Just as we think pain is an unpleasant sensation. And so by stopping the itch, your brain is feeling really rewarded. Because when you're already feeling itch, that pain actually feels good.

[Itch Neuron]

Compared to that terrible itch, the pain of scratching is a dream.

[Molly Bloom]

Hear that itch? Brain likes me better than you.

[Nali Molly]

But the chemical or whatever is making you itchy isn't actually going away. And after a while, the pain sensation will stop overriding the itch sensation and you'll continue to experience the itch, like it or not.

[Pain Neuron]

That's when I come back, baby.

[Itch Neuron]

Here we go again.

[Nali Molly]

While scratching feels good temporarily, in the end, it can actually make things much worse.

[Itch Neuron]

Scratching irritates your skin and your nails turn a bug bite into a wound.

[Ayaan]

Don't do that.

[Nali Molly]

But also something else that sometimes makes itch feel better is some kind of like hot or cold applied to that area.

[Itch Neuron]

That's because there are other neurons that sense temperature besides pain and itch neurons. So if you rub an ice cube on an itchy bug bite, a temperature neuron will tell me about coldness and I won't have to hear about itch or pain. Please try that instead of scratching.

[Molly Bloom]

Eventually your immune system will get rid of all the itchy proteins in a mosquito bite and your itch will go away.

[Ayaan]

In the meantime, try not to scratch.

[Lyric Bartholomew]

Brains.

[Mark Sanchez]

Brains.

[Brazen]

Brains.

[Molly Bloom]

Here's something even better than scratching an itch. It's the mystery cell. Here it is. What are your thoughts?

[Ayaan]

Well, personally, I think it's like a video game. Like Space Invaders maybe?

[Molly Bloom]

Mmm, kinda sounds like Laser Y. Yeah,

[Ayaan]

like an arcade maybe.

[Molly Bloom]

Good thinking. We'll hear it again and give you another chance to guess a little bit later in the show.

[Ayaan]

Alrighty.

[Molly Bloom]

We are working on an episode about why we like to move our bodies to music. Humans hear a beat and we can't help but tap toes, bob our heads, or break it to a full on dance number. So we want to hear from you. If you got to create the next big dance craze, what would it be? Make up a dance and tell us about it. Record yourself describing the dance or doing the dance. Then send it to [e-mail] contact we'll feature some of your dances in our episode. You can also send us mystery sounds, drawings, questions and feedback anytime. Just go to brainson.org contact thanks.

[Mosquito (Colin)]

Keep listening.

[Molly Bloom]

Today's episode is sponsored by Quints. My Family and I have been shopping at Quince for years. And now everyone in my little nuclear family and my larger extended family, we all have items from Quints. That's because they focus on high quality essentials that feel and look amazing. Think breathable linen and soft organic cotton. Perfect for the summer. There are well made basics, but they don't have the luxury markup. So this summer, I don't like wearing shorts. I don't like how they feel. So that's why linen pants have become my summer go to. And Quince has lovely linen pants, perfect for the hottest days. They're comfy, durable, and they look great too. Quint works directly with ethical factories and they cut out the middlemen. So you're paying for quality, not brand markup. You know, it's the kind of brand you end up recommending to everyone for everything. Elevate your summer wardrobe. Go to quince.com brainson for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q U I N C

[Nali Molly]

for

[Molly Bloom]

free shipping and 365 day returns. That's quince.com brainson you're listening to Brains On. I'm Molly.

[Ayaan]

I'm Ion.

[Mark Sanchez]

I'm Mark.

[Sandon Tauden]

And I'm Sandon.

[Mark Sanchez]

And we are the hoax hunters. Yeah, can I get some music? We like myths, but we hate getting tricks. Yeah, we like myths, but we hate getting tricks. You're right. We like myths, but we hate getting tricked. We hate getting tricked. No, we don't like it.

[Sandon Tauden]

Because we love myths and we hate getting tricked.

[Mark Sanchez]

A hoax is when somebody tricks you into believing something that isn't true.

[Sandon Tauden]

Today's hoax is all about a fart.

[Mark Sanchez]

And it all started in December 2019, when various papers reported about a man from Uganda whose farts were so powerful they killed mosquitoes.

[Sandon Tauden]

The British paper the sun published an article all about the man, Joe Ramirama, reporting that bug spray companies hired him to study his glorious gas. According to the article, his farts were so strong they covered a six mile radius.

[Mark Sanchez]

Now that is one tremendous toot. Maybe two tremendous.

[Sandon Tauden]

You're right to be suspicious. Turns out his farts weren't the only thing that smelled funny. The article was completely made up.

[Mosquito (Colin)]

Get hoaxed.

[Sandon Tauden]

The original article came from a satirical news website. That is to say, it was all a joke.

[Mark Sanchez]

But other outlets didn't catch that part. So they thought it was real and they retold the story without any fact checking.

[Pain Neuron]

Big mistake.

[Sandon Tauden]

Huge.

[Mark Sanchez]

And before you knew it, the story had spread like A fart next to a fan, everyone got.

[Sandon Tauden]

Hope this isn't the first bogus story about bug repellents. Turns out there's a lot of bad information out there.

[Mark Sanchez]

Yeah, like rub a dryer sheet on your arms, eat garlic, or pour mouthwash all over your porch.

[Sandon Tauden]

But those claims don't have much scientific evidence to back them up. However, there are lots of insect repellents that are backed by research and testing.

[Mark Sanchez]

Yeah, Chris Potter has done a lot of research himself. He's a professor of neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University.

[Chris Potter]

If you go to the drugstore, the most commonly used one is called DEET. It stands for NN, diethyl 3 methylamide. But that's quite a mouthful, so it's just been abbreviated as deet. That's like the gold standard for insect repellents.

[Sandon Tauden]

Chris says DEET works in a couple different ways. First, it changes the way you smell to a mosquito.

[Chris Potter]

So when you put DEET on your skin, it prevents other odors on your skin from being volatilized, meaning they don't come off your skin as they would normally do. And so what that does is it kind of keeps your odors to yourself. So the first thing that DEET can do is it essentially changes the way you smell and you just don't smell like a human anymore.

[Mark Sanchez]

So when a mosquito is trying to find you, it just can't.

[Chris Potter]

The second thing that DEET can do is that it can activate neurons on the antenna, which is essentially like the nose of the mosquito. And when it activates these neurons, the mosquitoes nose, it smells bad to the mosquito.

[Sandon Tauden]

Smell you later, Skeeters.

[Chris Potter]

And the third thing that DEET can do is that when an insect, like a mosquito, lands on your skin, there are neurons in its feet. And so when they land on us, they can actually use this for tasting. So they're essentially tasting us when they land on us. And if you have DEET on your skin, this tastes really bad to a mosquito. So as soon as it lands on your skin and it touches deet, it tastes bad and it'll jump away ta deet.

[Mark Sanchez]

But I'm gonna be honest, these mosquitoes aren't really bothering me.

[Pain Neuron]

What?

[Sandon Tauden]

I'm itching like crazy over here. Why is it that mark is fine and dandy, but I'm out here getting eaten alive?

[Chris Potter]

Everybody smells good to a mosquito, but some people smell better than others. And so the odor we give off, it's a very complex odor, like a bouquet, I guess. There's bacteria and other things that are on your skin that Take your odors, take your chemicals and turn it into odors. And so it's a combination of all those things that make you smell the way you do. Some people are giving off certain chemicals that allow them to smell better to mosquitoes. Other people actually have some chemicals on their skin that don't smell quite as nice to a mosquito.

[Mark Sanchez]

I guess I lucked out with these genius genes. Shout out to mom and dad.

[Mosquito (Colin)]

What? What?

[Chris Potter]

One thing to realize is that sometimes what happens is that people just don't react to the mosquito bites. And so, you know, they might just be just as attractive to mosquitoes and being bitten by mosquitoes, but they just don't realize it because they just don't react to the bites.

[Sandon Tauden]

Well, even if I get all bit up, at least mosquitoes appreciate my smell. There's notes of buttered popcorn, time machine dust, and just a hint of vanilla.

[Mark Sanchez]

Mm, that's not bad.

[Sandon Tauden]

Thanks, Chris, for helping out.

[Chris Potter]

Yeah, no problem. Thanks for calling.

[Mark Sanchez]

That's all for hoax hunters today. Remember to check your sources, folks, and

[Sandon Tauden]

always look for evidence that backs up a big claim or a lofty headline

[Mark Sanchez]

because you definitely don't want to get hoaxed. Hoax hunter's out.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay, Ayane, we still need your ears to point to the true identity of this mystery sound. Let's hear it again. So last time you were thinking something video game related. Do you have like, any new thoughts?

[Ayaan]

Maybe like laser tag.

[Molly Bloom]

Ooh, you play laser tag?

[Ayaan]

Well, with my friends for birthday parties. You play laser tag? Lots of times. I've played it a lot.

[Molly Bloom]

So can you describe what laser tag is for someone who might not know?

[Ayaan]

Okay, so for laser tag, you pretty much have these vests kind of with sensors on them. And pretty much you have kind of a laser gun, I would say, and it shoots a red light and if you hit the sensor, they're out and they have to go to a recharging station so they can get back in. And when you get hit and it makes a noise kind of like the one I just showed in the mystery

[Molly Bloom]

sound, you ready to hear the answer?

[Lyric Bartholomew]

Yes.

[Molly Bloom]

Here it is.

[Brazen]

My name is Brazen from Seattle, Washington. That was the sound of me dropping a rock into a 6 inch diameter steel pipe. That is an abandoned well on our rural property in Bremerton, Washington. We think the old well is 250ft deep. My dad is so excited that there is water at the bottom.

[Ayaan]

That is oddly specific, but okay, yes,

[Molly Bloom]

that is very specific, but yeah, that sort of laser like noise is the sound of the rock echoing Going down the pip.

[Lyric Bartholomew]

Exactly.

[Molly Bloom]

And it's really deep in the ground, so it just kind of keeps going and going and going, and then it lands in the water. The mosquito that transmits malaria parasites in

[Lyric Bartholomew]

Africa is the most dangerous animal on

[Molly Bloom]

the mosquitoes are tiny creatures.

[Ayaan]

They have a big impact on.

[Molly Bloom]

Here's Lyric Bartholomew again.

[Ayaan]

So that brings us to this question from Brian.

[Brazen]

My question is, do mosquitoes have a purpose to be on the Earth? They go around annoying everybody.

[Lyric Bartholomew]

The environment benefits from mosquitoes being there because mosquitoes feed all kinds of animals.

[Molly Bloom]

Lyric says that even though mosquitoes are a nuisance, potentially dangerous, they play an

[Lyric Bartholomew]

important role in the ecosystem of different animals. And so they're a really essential part of the food chain. In places where we do a really good job of controlling mosquitoes and just take all of them out of the environment, it can have an impact on things like bird reproduction. So a bird lays an egg, and she needs proper nourishment in order to lay healthy eggs, too. And so if she doesn't have the mosquitoes to feed on, she might have sort of brittle eggshells. Now, I've told you that. But there's more than 3,000 kinds of mosquitoes, for example, in the state of Iowa. With 55 different kinds of mosquitoes that we see, maybe about five of them are important in terms of disease transmission. Yeah, they're all.

[Ayaan]

Lyric says that instead of getting rid of all mosquitoes, scientists are working on ways to control the small number of mosquito species that do spread disease in pathogens.

[Lyric Bartholomew]

What we've learned is that one strategy

[Molly Bloom]

involves infecting mosquitoes with a bacteria called lobachia. This bacteria is a natural one, already living in some mosquitoes, just like all the bacteria we have living in our guts.

[Lyric Bartholomew]

Sure, they're dangerous animals, but I think we should appreciate how important they are. How can we appreciate.

[Molly Bloom]

So mosquitoes with Dyswalbachia shouldn't be able to pick up and spread other diseases, making them a pest, but not deadly.

[Lyric Bartholomew]

But also try and control the really dangerous ones for the benefit of people's health.

[Molly Bloom]

Female mosquitoes use six different mouthparts to bite you.

[Ayaan]

It's the mosquito spit that makes your bug bite itch.

[Molly Bloom]

Scratching a bug bite feels good because it gives your brain a break from an itch.

[Ayaan]

But try not to scratch. The itch will stop when your immune system cleans up all of the mosquito spit.

[Molly Bloom]

All humans smell good to mosquitoes. Unless we wear repellents like deet, then they can't smell us at all.

[Ayaan]

Some mosquitoes spread dangerous diseases, but others make great snacks for birds and spiders.

[Molly Bloom]

That's it for this episode of Brains On.

[Ayaan]

Brains on is produced by Maneka Wilhelm, Sandon Tauden, Mark Sanchez and Molly Blum.

[Molly Bloom]

We had production help from Kun Sang Dorji, Ruby Guthrie and Christina Lopez and engineering help from Veronica Rodriguez, Eric Romani and Sean Balman. Special thanks to Jennifer and Josh Elman, Christina Lopez, Rosie Dupont and John Sklaroff. Now it's time for the Brains Honor roll. These are the incredible kids who keep this show going with their questions, ideas, mystery, sounds, drawings and high fives. Esme and soren from Gainesville, Florida Finney from Chester, West Virginia Lola from Alameda, California Willa from Seattle Magnus from St. Louis Matias from Minnetonka, Minnesota Vance from Sunland, California Molly from Richmond, Virginia Amelia from Melbourne, Australia Lilou from Ibiza, Spain Benson from Ann Arbor, Michigan Clara from Phoenix, Arizona Bayard from Brooklyn, New York Quinn from San Diego, California Julia from Boise, Idaho Roslyn and Georgie from Orillia, Ontario Libby from Chicago Simon from Lawrenceville, Georgia Avery from Gatineau, Quebec Grace from Carlsbad, California Lucy from Auckland, New Zealand Bethany and James from Fort Hood, Texas Finley from Louisville, Kentucky Abigail from Philadelphia Orly from Columbus, Ohio Ben from Bethel, Connecticut Lily from Clonakilty, Ireland Dahlia from Wilton, New Hampshire Summer from Midlothian, Virginia Tobias from Nottingham, UK Augie from Durham, North Carolina Elliot from Greenbrook, New Jersey Zachary from Harrisonburg, Virginia Edie from Dover, Ohio Alice from Toronto Delson from Atlanta Ava from Evanston, Illinois Marea from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Marshall from Virginia Beach, Virginia Oscar from Melbourne, Australia Elis from Helsinki, Finland Jung and Kim from Sykesville, Maryland Serafina from Baltimore Erin from Fairfax, Virginia Marley and Nate from Toronto Mila and Enzo from Berkeley, California Lawrence and Carson from Kaiser, Slaughtern, German, Germany Leanne and Emily from Canmore, Alberta, Mo from Ferndale, Michigan Evelyn from Toronto Elias from Petaluma, California Landon and Caleb from Lexington, Kentucky Ethan from Chicago Mindy from Kapolei, Hawaii Anya from Gauteng, Germany Clara from Durham, New Hampshire Henry from Seguin, Texas Penelope from Aliso, Viejo, California Juniper from San Marcos, Texas Jack from Seattle Flora and Lachlan from Draper, Utah Evelyn from Toronto Arav from Barrie, Ontario River Blue from Durham, North Carolina Tristan from Birmingham, Alabama and Asher from Chehalis, Washington. We'll be back soon with more answers to your questions.

[Ayaan]

Thanks for listening.