Why do mosquitoes drink blood?
Short answer
Female mosquitoes take blood meals mainly to obtain nutrients needed to produce eggs. Blood is not their usual source of energy.
How it works
Both male and female mosquitoes get energy for flying from sugars such as nectar. In many species, females use proteins and other nutrients in a blood meal to develop their eggs.
That is why female mosquitoes pierce skin and drink blood. The host they choose, how often they feed, and how they produce eggs vary among mosquito species.
Key point
It is mainly female mosquitoes that bite. Blood helps provide material for the next generation of eggs; it is not simply fuel for the mosquito’s own movement.