Why do mosquito nets save lives? Don't mosquitos bite during the day, too?

Question

Or are they supposed to stay in the nets all day?

Answer 1

mosquitos are bad

Answer 2

While mosquitoes can and do bite during the day, many species of mosquito are more active at night, or right at dawn and dusk.

In addition, during the day, we can do things like swat the mosquitoes, or move to areas where they are not as active.  At night, we're generally asleep and easy targets for the mosquitoes.

Mosquito nets over beds save lives because of the enormous numbers of mosquitoes that many tropical areas have prowling about at night, and the nets keep them off of people while they are sleeping.  In addition to helping to prevent the spread of diseases like malaria, yellow fever, dengue and encephalitis, they also greater increase the ability of those people to actually get a good night's rest - the value of which cannot be underestimated, both for increasing mental alertness during the day (saving untold lives in prevented vehicle accidents) and increasing the efficiency of the human immune system (allowing them to fight off the diseases if they do get them).

And that may well be one of the longest run-on sentences I've ever constructed.

Answer 3

They do bite during the day, but not as much as at night.  So, mosquito nets would lower the exposure to mosquitoes, but not eliminate it.  Better than nothing, but not good enough.

I suppose people could adopt the burqa, that ought to keep the mosquitoes off....

Or maybe allow people to use a little DDT inside the house... That wouldn't be enough to endanger the raptors.