Here in the Philippines we have smoke piles to keep away the mosquitos. How does it actually work?

Is the smoke an iritant to their eyes? I don’t think the little creatures breathe, right? Or do they? Also, when bees are smoked out of a hive, is it the same biological effect taking place as with the mosquitos? I guess I’m asking, HOW is the smokeout so effective, so fast, technically?
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2 Responses to Here in the Philippines we have smoke piles to keep away the mosquitos. How does it actually work?

  1. Well i know if you burn dried cow poo it keeps mosquitos away

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  2. Yes, mosquitos do ‘breathe’ oxygen although they do not have the same sort of circulatory system as you or me. I assume that the smoke either prevents them from detecting the signals of its prey or, like bees, relaxes them against it. I found one page which states that ‘Basically, different mosquito species react to octenol, lactic acid,
    CO2 etc in different ways. Some chemicals have an attractant effect that is only apparent in the presence of a second chemical.’ So basically they can detect the carbon dioxide that we breathe out.

    http://www.bio.net/bionet/mm/parasite/1995-February/000528.html

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