Why is it that when you are asleep, any mosquito which decides to make you it’s supper will also do a fly-by on your ear? If you have ever experienced a mosquito buzzing right in your ear while sleeping, you know full well what I am talking about. If you haven’t experienced this torture, be thankful.
I think this could be one of the most horrendous ways to be awakened. For some reason that high-pitched buzzing noise is more disruptive and annoying than an alarm clock. No matter how long or how well you slept, if this is how you wake up, you’re going to be in a bad mood.
I wonder, do the mosquitoes do this fly-by only after they have feasted, as a little “victory lap” to add insult to injury? Makes me think of the scene in Top Gun when Maverick buzzes the control tower.
Mosquitoes detect carbon dioxide and warmth, so they’re drawn to your head.
ant:
and sawdust?
The wingbeat is a mating call. Females and males have different “songs”. Females find you because they are looking for a meal. Males (which don’t bite) find you because they are looking for the females. Once they have homed in on you (CO2 and warmth is right) and she is full of blood they turn their attention to other things…..
I remember hearing the buzz-buzz-buzz of mosquitoes the last time I was in central Africa. Even though I had the mossie net wrapped around me, it was impossible to tell if the mosquito was inside or outside my protective netting. I put on my headphones to cover the noise.
@ Ann
Thanks for dropping in and sharing the insights. I have accepted that mosquitoes have a decent reason to target my head, but I still think they buzz my ears specifically to ruin my sleep!
@ Conall,
Was there any chance that what you were hearing was really just the sound of a vuvuzela?
@ Liam
I am fairly confident that I am still going to be hearing the sounds of the vuvuzela reverberating in my head by World Cup 2014!