Today's question:

I seem to be swarmed by mosquitoes lately, and it made me think: Some people have told me that if a mosquito lands on your arm and you flex very fast, then the mosquito explodes. Is this true?

I think the only way you're going to find the answer to this is to try it yourself, because the stuff I read about this is a mixed bag.

The idea is that by flexing your muscle or stretching the skin around the mosquito, its proboscis will get stuck in your skin and the mosquito will be unable to stop sucking blood and will eventually explode.

Some stuff said squeezing the skin raises the pressure of the blood flow until it blows out the pest's shutoff valve.

Other stuff I read said that the exploding thing is hooey, and the mosquito's proboscis is so thin and flexible and its insertion into your skin so shallow that there is no way you could trap it.

So as I say, you're going to have to field-test this one yourself. I'd do it myself but I don't have a mosquito handy just now.

Here's the real heart of the question: Why not just swat the mosquito? I don't think I'd care to have a mosquito rupture all over me.

As long as we're on this matter, after the last column on mosquitoes, I got a note from a guy who said carrying around one of those fabric softener sheets around will keep mosquitoes away.

I have tried this because I seem to be beset by the pests when I take my morning coffee outside. It works.

� Ladies and gentlemen . . .

Now, today's the big day. It's the debut of the Valley 101 video. You can find it at clayblog.azcentral.com. Let me know what you think.

On second thought, don't.

Reach Thompson at clay .thompson@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8612.