# What is a Mosquitos range? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 17, 2006, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-mosquitos-range/369071 "2006-08-17T11:20:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2006, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-mosquitos-range/369071/1 "2006-08-17T11:20:18Z")
A mosquito is at it’s birth dedicated to getting my blood. How far away from it’s spawning point do I need to get? ---
**Author:** ![mittu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@mittu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mittu)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2006, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-mosquitos-range/369071/2 "2006-08-17T11:29:16Z")
Probably not the answer you are looking for but I would suggest that as long as there is a stiff wind you could be safe just a few meters away, stand upwind of the little blighter and there is no way he could muster the energy to fly against the current and reach you. ---
**Author:** ![Caffeine\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/48db29/32.png) [@Caffeine\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine_Cat)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2006, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-mosquitos-range/369071/3 "2006-08-17T11:33:10Z")
[1,500 miles with full weapons load](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Mosquito). Sorry, couldn’t resist 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2006, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-mosquitos-range/369071/4 "2006-08-17T13:38:24Z")
Interesting that you should ask this today. Just yesterday as I was driving home, they had a report on the radio about West Nile Virus, and the health dept. official they were interviewing said that mosquitos have a flight range of 12-15 miles. ---
**Author:** ![Black\_Train\_Song](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@Black\_Train\_Song](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Black_Train_Song)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2006, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-mosquitos-range/369071/5 "2006-08-17T16:37:11Z")
On that topic, how close to one do I have to be for it to know I’m there? Isn’t it the body heat that draws them toward you? ---
**Author:** ![Caffeine\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/48db29/32.png) [@Caffeine\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine_Cat)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2006, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-mosquitos-range/369071/6 "2006-08-17T18:41:22Z")
Depends if you are upwind, or downwind. They hunt their victims by scent - mostly homing on exhaled CO2 and butyric acid in sweat (IIRC). ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2006, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-mosquitos-range/369071/7 "2006-08-17T22:35:42Z")
> [@mittu](#): > > and there is no way he could muster the energy to fly against the current and reach you. Only female mosquitos go blood hunting. ---
**Author:** ![Yeah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/dbc845/32.png) [@Yeah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeah)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-mosquitos-range/369071/8 "2006-08-18T00:05:47Z")
It depends on the species of mosquito. You can probably look it up for each species in a reference book about disease-carrying species of mosquitoes. ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-mosquitos-range/369071/9 "2006-08-18T19:02:34Z")
[Salt marsh mosquitoes migrate 75 to 100 miles.](http://www.thaibugs.com/Articles/amazing_mosquito_facts.htm)