Invaded: Americas, Europe, Asia, AustraliaĬarries: Yellow Fever, Dengue Fever, Chikununya Fever, Zika Virusįact: A. There are many mosquito species and a few are particularly lethal:Ĭarries: Japanese Encephalitis, Meningitis, West Nile Virusįact: There is a subspecies of this mosquito called the London Underground Mosquito ( Culex pipiens molestus) that has adapted traits suited for living in subway systems ( it doesn’t hibernate, is cold intolerant, breeds year-round and prefers to feed on rats, mice and humans) These collisions happen in Canada year-round, with 70% happening between May and October so please use care and attention when highway driving, particularly at dawn and dusk. Large animals including moose, deer, elk and bears are constantly harassed by mosquitoes, which often results in animals running onto the road to escape being bitten in heavily wooded areas near highways. However, that does not mean that the mosquitoes here are not deadly, but that death usually comes in a different form: animal-vehicle collisions. In Canada, we are lucky that a majority of mosquitoes found here are not vectors of deadly diseases. Looking at this graphic below from Bill Gate’s blog, you can see that several of the most dangerous animals are smaller than the size of a quarter. Mosquitoes reach this wild level of lethality by being vectors of several deadly diseases including malaria, encephalitis, elephantiasis, yellow fever, dengue fever, West Nile virus, Zika virus and many others. In fact, only about 60 species of the 85 drink blood and only female mosquitoes carrying eggs will bite, while males and other species are happy to feast on nectar and other plant sources.Īlthough mosquitoes may seem to be just a minor annoyance during your summer getaway, they are actually the most deadly animal in the world and are responsible for the deaths of roughly 725,000 people every year.
Luckily, not all of these mosquitoes will bite you. Summer also means welcoming back the 85 or so mosquito species that have been peacefully hibernating in Canada over winter. Summer is in full swing across the country and Canadians from every province are enjoying our favourite summer activities: swimming, hiking, camping, fossil collecting and kayaking to name a few.
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