Animals & Environment
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12 Aug 2026
Mosquito bites cause a brief pricking sensation that results in itchy, red bumps. Shutterstock.com
Why Mosquito Bites Itch but Bee Stings Burn
Warm-up → Read & Listen → Check Understanding → Language → Use It
WARM UP
Think Ahead: Which detail do you think appears in this story?
a) Mosquitoes carry umbrellas in summer.
b) Mosquito saliva makes your skin feel itchy.
c) Bees drink warm tea in hives.
Ask:
(1) Have you ever been bitten by a mosquito?
(2) Does a bee sting feel different from a mosquito bite?
VOCABULARY
1. mosquito
(/məˈskiː.təʊ/, noun)
2. saliva
(/səˈlaɪ.və/, noun)
3. chemical
(/ˈkem.ɪ.kəl/, noun)
4. histamine
(/ˈhɪs.tə.miːn/, noun)
5. sting
(/stɪŋ/, noun)
6. venom
(/ˈven.əm/, noun)
A small flying insect that bites humans and animals to drink blood.
Example: A mosquito bit my arm in the garden.
The liquid produced inside the mouth of humans and animals.
Example: The insect left saliva on my skin.
A liquid or solid substance made by nature or science.
Example: Water is a very common chemical substance.
A chemical made by your body that causes itching and swelling.
Example: Your body makes histamine when you get a bug bite.
A sharp wound made by a bee or wasp.
Example: A bee sting can feel very sharp.
A poisonous liquid injected by bees, wasps, or snakes.
Example: Bee venom makes your skin burn.
Have you ever felt a bug on your arm? Some bug marks itch, but other marks burn. Why do bug marks feel different?
When a female mosquito bites you, she wants a small drop of blood. She puts saliva into your skin. Mosquito saliva has special chemicals. These chemicals keep your blood flowing easily.
Your body sees the saliva and protects you. Your body makes a chemical called histamine. Histamine brings extra blood to the spot. This makes a small red bump. It also makes your skin feel very itchy!
Bees and wasps are different. They do not drink blood. When they feel scared, they sting you. Their sting puts venom into your body. Venom is a strong fluid. It makes your skin burn and feel sharp pain right away.
So, mosquito saliva makes your body create histamine, which causes an itch. But bee venom attacks your skin and causes a quick burn. Now you know why insect marks feel different!
Histamine, leukotrienes, and other enzymes are released into the body when insects sting or bite. ©all_about_people/Shutterstock.com
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Have you ever been bitten by a mosquito?
2. How does an itchy mosquito bite feel?
3. What do you do when your skin feels itchy?
4. Do you like bees and wasps? Why or why not?
5. How can you protect your skin from insects in summer?
FILL IN THE GAPS
FILL THE GAPS
Section 1: Fill in the Gaps
Word Bank: histamine, saliva, sting, venom
Have you ever felt a bug on your arm? Some bug marks itch, but other marks burn. Why do bug marks feel different?
When a female mosquito bites you, she wants a small drop of blood. She puts _______(1) into your skin. Mosquito saliva has special chemicals. These chemicals keep your blood flowing easily.
Your body sees the saliva and protects you. Your body makes a chemical called _______(2). Histamine brings extra blood to the spot. This makes a small red bump. It also makes your skin feel very itchy!
Bees and wasps are different. They do not drink blood. When they feel scared, they _______(3) you. Their sting puts _______(4) into your body. Venom is a strong fluid. It makes your skin burn and feel sharp pain right away.
So, mosquito saliva makes your body create histamine, which causes an itch. But bee venom attacks your skin and causes a quick burn. Now you know why insect marks feel different!
Section 2: Main Idea
Choose the best main idea:
a) Bees drink blood from people in the garden.
b) Mosquito bites itch because of histamine, while bee stings burn because of venom.
c) Mosquitoes and bees are the same type of insect.
UNDERSTANDING
Section 3: True or False
1. Female mosquitoes bite people to get blood. T/F
2. Mosquito saliva makes your skin burn immediately. T/F
3. Bee stings put venom into your skin. T/F
Section 4: Put Events in Order
Put these events in order from 1 to 3:
a) Your body makes histamine to protect your skin.
b) A mosquito puts saliva into your skin.
c) A small red bump appears and feels itchy.
LANGUAGE
Section 5: Vocab Match
1. mosquito
2. saliva
3. chemical
4. histamine
5. venom
a) liquid in the mouth that helps digest food or protect skin
b) poison that bees and wasps inject when they sting
c) a small insect that drinks blood
d) a substance made of molecules that can react
e) a chemical your body makes that causes itching
USE IT
Section 6: Discussion Builder
Choose the correct option to complete each sentence:
1. When a mosquito bites you, you should put an ice pack on your skin to feel _______ .
a) better
b) worse
2. If you see a bee, you should stay _______ and walk away slowly.
a) calm
b) angry
Section 7: Sentence Unscramble
Put the words in the correct order (A-E):
1. A: to lay/ B: eggs / C: Female mosquitoes / D: their small / E: need blood
2. A: feel red / B: your skin / C: itchy / D: and very / E: Histamine makes
ANSWER KEY
Section: Warm Up
Answer:b) Mosquito saliva makes your skin feel itchy.
Exercise 1 Answers (Fill in the Gaps):
saliva
histamine
sting
venom
Exercise 2 Answer (Main Idea):
b) Mosquito bites itch because of histamine, while bee stings burn because of venom.
Exercise 3 Answers (True or False):
True
False
True
Exercise 4 Answers (Put Events in Order):
b) A mosquito puts saliva into your skin.
a) Your body makes histamine to protect your skin.
c) A small red bump appears and feels itchy.
Exercise 5 Answers (Vocab Match):
1 - c 2 - a 3 - d 4 - e 5 - b
Exercise 6 Answers (Discussion Builder):
a) better
a) calm
Exercise 7 Answers (Sentence Unscramble):
C - E - A - D - B (Female mosquitoes need blood to lay their small eggs.)
E - B - A - D - C (Histamine makes your skin feel red and very itchy.)
Exercise 8 Answers (Discussion Questions):
Student answers will vary.
Thank you for your feedback!