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You're listening to Life Kit from NPR.

Hey, it's Mariel.

We talked about ticks on the show recently.

They're not my fave.

But guess what?

There's a little flying creature that gives them a run for their money.

Let me give you a hint.

You're lying in bed on a summer night, drifting off to snooze land when you hear a high-pitched whining sound right next to your ear.

How did this damn mosquito get into my house?

Now I'm up. The lights are on.

I'm on a mosquito hunt because if I don't kill this thing before I fall asleep, it will feast on my blood all night and leave me with itchy bites all over my body.

Seriously, I've had one bite me on the eyebrow.

Not the face, y'all.

And those itchy inflamed bumps can be more than just a nuisance.

In rare but real instances in the U.S., they can lead to serious or even deadly illness.

According to NASA's report on mosquito-borne diseases from May, the U.S. has seen nearly 1,500 cases of dange fever so far this year.

There are about the same number of cases of West Nile virus in 2024.

Out of all of the creatures on the planet, mosquitoes have caused us no end of trouble.

They are likely the most devastating insects that we have ever encountered.

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