How mosquitos deal with getting hit by raindrops • Hacker News Board

Re: How mosquitos deal with getting hit by raindrops

#41

Post by eitally » Thu, Jun 25, 2015, 11:47 AM UTC

acyacy wrote: post #23

mordrax wrote: post #21

> But because our mosquito is oh-so-light, the raindrop moves on, unimpeded, and hardly any force is transferred. So if the mosquito's weight is insignificant compared to that of the heavier and denser water drop and that's what keeps it from having the force transferred, would this equally apply to hailstorms? (Where our mosquitoes are pelted by small hail balls the size of raindrops)

You don't really find mosquitoes where you're likely to find hailstorms.

I just returned from a vacation in Wyoming where we were hit by a number of hailstorms, not to mention more common thunderstorms (it was a VERY wet and cold May). Still had to deal with mosquitos (but not nearly as bad as in mid-late summer).

Re: How mosquitos deal with getting hit by raindrops

#42

Post by mark-r » Thu, Jun 25, 2015, 11:51 AM UTC

bnolsen wrote: post #27

so if mosquiotos are oblivious to rain is there some way to make artificial rain with different properties that could destroy mosquitos en masse?

Anything that causes the water to stick to them rather than letting them bounce off should work. Just mixing in a little soap maybe?

Re: How mosquitos deal with getting hit by raindrops

#43

Post by nippoo » Thu, Jun 25, 2015, 12:40 PM UTC

"Had the raindrop slammed into a bigger, slightly heavier animal, like a dragonfly, the raindrop would “feel” the collision and lose momentum. The raindrop might even break apart because of the impact, and force would transfer from the raindrop to the insect’s exoskeleton, rattling the animal to death."

Has anyone actually done any research on dragonflies being hit by raindrops, or is this just speculation?

Re: How mosquitos deal with getting hit by raindrops

#44

Post by joncameron » Thu, Jun 25, 2015, 12:40 PM UTC

dgemm wrote: post #11

> But because our mosquito is oh-so-light, the raindrop moves on, unimpeded, and hardly any force is transferred. All that happens is that our mosquito is suddenly scooped up by the raindrop and finds itself hurtling toward the ground at a velocity of roughly nine meters per second, an acceleration which can’t be very comfortable, because it puts enormous pressure on the insect’s body, up to 300 gravities worth, says…

From your link:

> In any case, you read with exasperation or amusement the multiple errors in a story, and then turn the page to national or international affairs, and read as if the rest of the newspaper was somehow more accurate about Palestine than the baloney you just read. You turn the page, and forget what you know.

Which is of course intriguing, since cat-v.org hosts frothing-at-the-mouth vitriol about topics like women in tech and gay marriage in the always trustworthy and well reasoned medium of reposted reddit and slashdot comments. And presumably I'm supposed to click over to the technical stuff with a straight face.

Re: How mosquitos deal with getting hit by raindrops

#45

Post by soneca » Thu, Jun 25, 2015, 12:45 PM UTC

joeyspn wrote: post #38

daniel-levin wrote: post #35

From an io9 article on the same research: >> [Hu] and Dickerson constructed a flight arena consisting of a small acrylic cage covered with mesh to contain the mosquitoes but permit entry of water drops. The researchers used a water jet to simulate rain stream velocity while observing six mosquitoes flying into the stream. Amazingly, all the mosquitoes lived. The researchers used simulated rain drops on six mosquitoes…

^This I live in a mediterranean zone near a huge lake and during summer mosquitos are your every night companions (specially if you're working during late night hours). But when a summer storm brews the mosquitos disappear for two or three days. Why? This has been for me a recurrent question, and the answer has been always obvious: few of them survive being hit by raindrops. You can make 1000 theories about how our t…

I also agree.

> "And yet (you probably haven’t looked, but trust me), when it’s raining those little pains in the neck are happily darting about in the air, getting banged—and they don’t seem to care."

I have looked and I don't trust you. I live in Brazil where mosquitoes are present all the time, even in the city (obviously, on a smaller scale than places closer to nature). I do notice that whenever is raining there is a sharp drop in mosquitoes number flying inside our homes. They don't completely disappear, but is notorious they are in much smaller numbers. As this is common knowledge over years and years, across basically all the people, I don't consider it anecdote, but empirical observation.

I cannot answer if that is because raindrops kill them, or they just preserve themselves sheltered in their nests, or they breed less in rainy days, or whatever. But the article (not sure about the research) is based on a false premisse.

Re: How mosquitos deal with getting hit by raindrops

#46

Post by dalke » Thu, Jun 25, 2015, 1:09 PM UTC

coconutrandom wrote: post #26

blumkvist wrote: post #20

A commenter on the site says that some type of mosquitoes (Texas) are used in oil drilling. I tried googling "texas mosquitoes oil drilling" and variants, but didn't find anything. >"Why, one species even secretes an enzyme to dissolve the organic matter in blood leaving only the iron in haemoglobin. Then another enzyme causes the iron atoms to join to form biological drill pipe! These structures are known to be as m…

That is a joke that makes more sense once you've been bitten there.

Then there's the one about the mosquito that landed at [local air force base] and the fuel truck was half-way to it before they noticed it wasn't a fighter jet.

Re: How mosquitos deal with getting hit by raindrops

#47

Post by fnordfnordfnord » Thu, Jun 25, 2015, 1:12 PM UTC

joncameron wrote: post #44

dgemm wrote: post #11

> But because our mosquito is oh-so-light, the raindrop moves on, unimpeded, and hardly any force is transferred. All that happens is that our mosquito is suddenly scooped up by the raindrop and finds itself hurtling toward the ground at a velocity of roughly nine meters per second, an acceleration which can’t be very comfortable, because it puts enormous pressure on the insect’s body, up to 300 gravities worth, says…

From your link: > In any case, you read with exasperation or amusement the multiple errors in a story, and then turn the page to national or international affairs, and read as if the rest of the newspaper was somehow more accurate about Palestine than the baloney you just read. You turn the page, and forget what you know. Which is of course intriguing, since cat-v.org hosts frothing-at-the-mouth vitriol about topics…

Upon encountering the frothy-mouthed bits, you could return to the gell-mann-amnesia-effect node, and treat it as a disclaimer.

Re: How mosquitos deal with getting hit by raindrops

#48

Post by briandear » Thu, Jun 25, 2015, 1:24 PM UTC

coconutrandom wrote: post #26

blumkvist wrote: post #20

A commenter on the site says that some type of mosquitoes (Texas) are used in oil drilling. I tried googling "texas mosquitoes oil drilling" and variants, but didn't find anything. >"Why, one species even secretes an enzyme to dissolve the organic matter in blood leaving only the iron in haemoglobin. Then another enzyme causes the iron atoms to join to form biological drill pipe! These structures are known to be as m…

That is a joke that makes more sense once you've been bitten there.

In Texas, we'd call that a tall tale.

Re: How mosquitos deal with getting hit by raindrops

#49

Post by acyacy » Thu, Jun 25, 2015, 1:34 PM UTC

RBerenguel wrote: post #24

acyacy wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't really find mosquitoes where you're likely to find hailstorms.

In Spain we definitely have mosquitos, and most Augusts we have these summery storms, sometimes bringing also hailstorms (sizze varies though between drop sized ice and golfball sized ice)

You find them in these areas. When it gets cold there tends to be far fewer of them.

And compared to the equators its nearly incomparible.

Re: How mosquitos deal with getting hit by raindrops

#50

Post by acyacy » Thu, Jun 25, 2015, 1:35 PM UTC

rawTruthHurts wrote: post #32

acyacy wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't really find mosquitoes where you're likely to find hailstorms.

Neat plastic bubble that where you live in!

I'd like to see you compare the density of mosquitoes in colder climates to those close to the equator.