Hank explores a vexing question asked at picnics and beach parties everywhere: Why do bug bites itch? To help you understand the answer, he takes you into the blow by blow of a bug bite which,...
========== Here's a vexing question asked at picnics
and beach parties everywhere: "Why do bug bites itch?" And the answer is: They don't. Bug bites don't itch at all, sometimes you
don't even feel them, and that's pretty amazing because what goes on under your skin when
a bug bites you is horrifying. Alright, some insects, like certain kinds of ants, are venomous
so their bites can itch because their venom contains formic acid, which can irritate and
blister the skin. But let's talk about Nematocera, the suborder
of insects that includes black flies and mosquitoes. These bugs have a long bendable proboscis
that they stick into you to drink your blood. The proboscis is made up of six different
mouth parts. First you got the mandible...