Mosquito is a name given to a group of common flying insects. There are more than 3,500 types of mosquitoes in the world. Most mosquito bites result in itching and swelling around the area of the bite in humans. Mosquitoes can live inside and outside and they can bite day or night, depending on the type of mosquito. Only female mosquitoes bite because they need a blood meal to produce eggs, however, both male and female mosquitoes feed on plant sap for general nutritional needs. After a mosquito hatches, it can live anywhere from two to four weeks, depending on the conditions. The mosquitoes that can spread pathogens to people or animals are called vectors. They can pick up viruses and parasites when they bite people or animals that are infected. When you are bitten by an infected mosquito, you may be at risk for becoming sick.