Mosquitoes are small temporarily blood-feeding insects and assumed to be a nuisance for all mammals. In fact, the name of the anopheles species complex, the transmitters of malaria, is of the Greek origin an- = "not" and opheléo = "usable". The Latin word for mosquito, culex, gave the family its name Culicidae. Only a small portion of the overall 3500 different species is believed to suck blood from humans. Female species require blood for their egg production. During subsequent feeding on different hosts, they might acquire pathogens and pass them on. In addition, viruses could be passed on to the next mosquito generation transovarially.

Mosquito-transmitted diseases are a major health issue for dogs. Even with preventative measures, mosquito control with the repellent and insecticidal efficacy of advantix^® is crucial.