Mosquitoes: Tiny Insect Troublemakers

By Sandra Markle

Look out for these public enemies—mosquitoes—as they are after blood! Mosquito females need a meal of blood before they can lay their eggs. They target humans and animals and zoom in for a feast. But these insects may do more harm than causing itchy welts. Mosquitoes can also pass along a number of serious and deadly diseases to those they bite. Humans have developed a number of ways to get rid of mosquitoes, from spreading chemicals to putting mosquito larvae-eating fish in ponds. Yet mosquitoes are also a food source for many animals. Without these pests, birds, bats, and other animals in the food chain might be affected. In this exciting book, you can learn what makes mosquitoes similar to and different from other insects. Close-up photographs and diagrams reveal extraordinary details about mosquitoes’ bodies, both inside and out. And you can perform activities that help you understand how mosquitoes feed and what you can do to keep them away. Learn more about this exciting member of nature’s fascinating Insect World!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lerner Publishing
• Release date: Jan 1, 2008
• ISBN: 9780761340096

Sandra Markle

Sandra Markle is the author of numerous award-winning books for children. A former elementary science teacher, she is a nationally-known science education consultant. Markle has received many honors for her series Animal Predators, Animal Scavengers, and Animal Prey. Several titles have been named as National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)/Children’s Book Council (CBC) Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12, and Animal Predators was honored as a Top 10 Youth Nonfiction Series by Booklist. Markle is also the author of the Insect World series and several single titles. Her book Rescues! was named a Best Book by the Society of School Librarians International and a Recommended Title of Outstanding Nonfiction by the National Council of Teachers of English’s (NCTE) Orbis Pictus Award committee; Animal Heroes was named a 2008 Lasting Connections title by Book Links. Markle lives in Lakewood Ranch, Florida with her husband, photographer Skip Jeffery.