Blood is reserved for egg production and is imbibed less frequently. When a female mosquito pierces the skin with her mouthparts, she injects a small amount of saliva into the wound before drawing blood. The saliva makes penetration easier and prevents the blood from clotting in the narrow channel of her food canal. The welt that appears after the mosquito leaves is not a reaction to the wound, but an allergic reaction to the saliva injected to prevent clotting. In most cases, the itching sensation and swellings subside within several hours.
Some people are highly sensitive, and symptoms persist for several days.
Scratching the bites can result in infection if bacteria from the fingernails are introduced to the wounds. Scientists are still investigating the complexities involved with mosquito host acceptance and rejection. Some people are highly attractive to mosquitoes and others are rarely bothered. Mosquitoes have specific requirements to satisfy, and process many different factors before they feed. Many of the mosquito's physiological demands are poorly understood and many of the processes they use to evaluate potential blood meal hosts remain a mystery.