A Blood Draw: Mosquitoes at Work

Environmental & Science Education
Health
Biological Evolution
Edward Hessler

Mosquitoes are commonly found on lists of the world's most dangerous animals, often in the top ten. This occurs when the ranking is about causes of human deaths.  Malaria is the largest of several diseases transmitted by their "bites."

Just how does a mosquito penetrate the skin and withdraw a blood sample? It is not quite what Frank Sinatra had in mind in his song I've Got You Under My Skin.

They use six needles. In this short video produced by KQED Science (San Francisco) we see just how they do it, painlessly and quickly. The video is part of the Deep Look series.