EDMOND HARRY LUCY LUCY So... did you find something? EDMOND No, but there has to be a solution. HARRY So tell me kids, what are you studying today? EDMOND We were wondering how to get rid of mosquitoes. They bit us all night long. But all I found was information on their life cycle. LUCY We don't care about that. All we want is to sleep at night! HARRY Well... they don't like the smell of lavender. But the smell needs to be very strong to keep them away so you'd have to have piles of it. EDMOND Of course! Remember when we slept outside under the stars? LUCY Oh yeah, I remember, it was great! EDMOND We were in a field of lavender. LUCY You're right, and the mosquitoes didn't bite us. But in order for it to work in here, we'd need to grow a lavender field in our bedroom. EDMOND Grr, the only thing this insect is good for is keeping us awake at night. HARRY Well... you should know that mosquitoes are also very useful. LUCY Sure! Biting and keeping people up at night is super useful! EDMOND It looks like mosquitoes need our blood to reproduce. HARRY That's correct. Female mosquitoes need our blood to help develop their eggs. They lay them in the water, and as the eggs mature, they turn into larvae. EDMOND I remember! We've seen mosquito larvae in the water before. HARRY Mosquitoes lay eggs in the water where their larvae develop. Therefore, they spend one-half of their existence underwater and the other half in the air. LUCY They're such show-offs! Mosquitoes think they're hot stuff because as babies, they can swim, and as adults, they can fly! That's no reason to bite me! HARRY Mosquitoes are a very useful part of nature. They are one of the essential links in the forest food chain. EDMOND Of course! It's explained on this page. First, the plants are eaten by the insects and snails, who are then eaten by birds, frogs, and other mammals, who in turn are eaten by foxes and raptors. EDMOND Oh! Now I understand why mosquitoes are so useful. It's because they can feed both fishes and birds! HARRY That's exactly right! LUCY Serves you right, mosquito! Looks like your diner for everyone to enjoy! HARRY Mosquitoes don't exist only to be eaten by others. When mosquitoes are in the larval stage, they eat the waste in the pond, thus filtering the water. And when mosquitoes are adults, since one of their food sources is nectar, they do the same thing as bees do. LUCY They make honey? EDMOND Yes, they make delicious blood honey. LUCY Ewww! That's gross. HARRY No, of course they don't do that. They help pollinate the flowers. HARRY They transport pollen from flower to flower, thus helping the flowers to reproduce. LUCY Oh well, of course, I always knew that about mosquitoes. HARRY So kids, did you understand everything we said? EDMOND Yes. First, mosquitoes live in water during their larval stage. They're useful because they purify the water and are food for fish. Then, the larvae come out of the water and change into mosquitoes that live in the air. They help nature grow by transporting pollen from flower to flower, and they're also food for the birds. HARRY Very well done, kids!