Of all insects, perhaps the most annoying is the mosquito. Not only are mosquito bites painful, mosquitoes can spread disease. Among the diseases that mosquitoes carry are West Nile, encephalitis, and malaria.

Malaria is the most deadly disease of the mosquito-borne diseases. In the Western world, we do not think of malaria much because it has been eradicated for the most part. People get scared of the occasional West Nile scare, but these are rare and most people who contract West Nile do not even notice it.

In contrast, malaria is a disease of the third world. It is common in countries in Africa. Hundreds of millions of people die from malaria each year, meaning it is a bigger killer than the AIDS pandemic.

Avoiding mosquitoes is a combination of planning and using mosquito repellent. When mosquitoes are abundant, generally in the fall, avoid being outside at night, and avoid places near sitting water, since that is where mosquitoes breed. It is imperative that you get rid of any standing water areas near your home, since you would not want mosquitoes breeding near your home. In contrast to popular thinking, it is only the female mosquito while she is pregnant that she needs human blood, so this is why avoiding mosquito breeding areas is so important.