Thanks to their blood-sucking ways, the 3,500 species of ectoparasite known as mosquitoes have become buzzing symbols of irritation and disease. We’re usually only worried with what happens after a mosquito bites us, but what if the blood sucking itself was the really dangerous part? How many mosquitoes would it take to drain all of your blood?
This thought experiment comes from my favorite recent anime, One Punch Man. In the second episode of season one, Saitama and Genos face of against Mosquito Girl, a demon-level threat who controls massive swarms of mosquitoes. She uses those insects to drain an entire dude of blood, a fate that presumably would have befallen O.P.M and Genos had she not been splattered in a single swipe. The question is still alive though: how many mosquitoes would it take to drain a person completely? Would it really take just seconds? Is it even possible?
In my latest episode of Because Science, I’m tackling this disturbing question. Turn back now if you don’t want to think about just how many mosquitoes could physically fit on your skin…
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