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Unbroken's avatar

Is it conceivable to outrun mosquitos?

Asked by Unbroken (10746points) June 19th, 2013
13 responses
“Great Question” (1points)

This year has been particulary notorious for mosquitos. Due to the type of break up that happened.

Amongst runners who have already tried various sprays and mechanisms but never found one they were too pleased with. For the smell the feeling of it. For toxicity, for inefficacy, for unrealisticness of it. Eating garlic and onions until it comes out of your pores for example. Etc.

So it has become a running joke that we simply have to outrun them.

So while running I was rolling this around in my head.

Say you had one specific mosiquito following you and assuming that it persued you for as long and as fast as it could. How fast would have to run and how long would you have to in order to outrun the pesky persuer?

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Answers

Berserker's avatar

A mosquito can fly up to 1.5mph. An average human can reach 11mph, while anyone in good shape can probably go faster than that. So I guess you could easily outrun one tiny little mosquito. Might depend on the type of mosquito though…theoretically, you could probably avoid every mosquito by running and never stopping, but ultimately, that’s impossible. In fact when you stop, they’ll swarm all over you even more because of the heat your body is releasing, as well as the smell of sweat. And there’s always more than one mosquito around…

But dude, check out this mosquito FAQ for just about everything you might wanna know bout dem skeeters.

Unbroken's avatar

True the goal is not to stop running til you make it to the car.

Then you have hop and proceed to bash all the swarm that made it in with you on invariably on just cleaned windows.

JLeslie's avatar

Mosquitos love me. I have 9 bites from a party I went to last weekend and I had on long pants. The pants were flared a little at the bottom though and I was out for many many house at dusk and later and now have the bites on the lower part of my leg. The best thing is to cover with clothing or repellent from dusk through the night. That’s when the mosquitos are really out in large numbers.

About outrunning, you can outrun it, but I wonder if it is on you if it can hold on while you run?

When I was in my teens I learned humans can outrun bees and now I dash instead of “standing still” as so many recommend. I have been stung many times doing nothing to bother the bee around me. They live me too.

LuckyGuy's avatar

You need this device from Intellectual Ventures. It looks at the flying insect, determines if it is an mosquito, further determines if it is a female mosquito, and then shoots it out of the sky.

More info

syz's avatar

Yes, you can outrun them. I grew up in Florida, and at dusk I could see the cloud following me – the key was to keep moving to keep ahead of them.

My sister works in the field as a biologist the Everglades; when nature calls, she does the “running poop/pee” – run to your target area, drop trou and do your business, swatt madly at your bare rump, run and pull up your pants at the same time. (I’ve threatened to videotape this process.) She actually uses a mosquito suit when working.

syz (35938points)“Great Answer” (4points)
ucme's avatar

Mozzies must be really fucking unfit, 1.5 mph!?! Wasps can reach around 20mph, try outrunning them bastards!!
I tried once & managed to escape through running around in circles, it either got bored, lost me, or as I like to believe, got dizzy & exploded XD

Berserker's avatar

@ucme Haha yeah, bees and wasps need to travel far ass distances, and they’re built for it. Mosquitoes hang around their bushes and bodies of water though, waiting for Ucmes to pop in there. XD
But that FAQ says some types of mosquitoes can travel pretty far…sure must take them forever to get somewhere though.

Rarebear's avatar

Yes. I’ve done it. But like zombies they will win because of strength in numbers.

ucme's avatar

@Symbeline Mosquito Airlines, we get you there…eventually :D

Berserker's avatar

Lol, and we’ll bleed you dry!

Unbroken's avatar

@Symbeline Thanks for the factoid sheet it was interesting.
@JLeslie It is such a shame that we have to share the night with those pesks. But when you think about they go to war every time they feed. There is a remarkable amount of bravery in that. There must be an art to it.
@LuckyGuy I do need that. High tech dang!
@syz Lol that is funny only because I am not required to do that… On a regular basis any how.
@Rarebear Do I hear a WWM coming on? By the way has any one watched the mosquito Man? It is dreadful but I had friend that thought it was hilarious.
@ucme Yeah they may be slow and such but to inspire a dance and to threaten and effectively thwart so many… There is something to be said for that. Not sure what.
I wonder how intelligent their brain is? Do they feel pain, or know fear? Most animals and fish do to some degree. Why not insects?

@Symbeline They have been known to kill horses. Talk about David and Goliath.

JLeslie's avatar

@Unbroken What war?

Unbroken's avatar

Oh there is a book and movie titled world was Z or zombies.. with the comparison to zombies I went the next step..

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