What Draws Mosquitoes To Some People More Than Others?
Not only are mosquitoes attracted to some people more than others, but they may be attracted to you after different activities. By what strange alchemy does this occur? Why do mosquitoes bite some people more than others? According to scientists, it’s mostly chemistry.
Some people naturally produce more of the specific chemicals that attract mosquitoes than others. Your blood type also has some bearing on whether or not mosquitoes will find your delectable or not. Your metabolic rate also impacts the choices that mosquitoes make when targeting their victims.
People Who Love To Exercise
After a wonderful jog, you may find yourself a feast for mosquitoes. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, mosquitoes are attracted to lactic acid. Lactic acid builds up in your muscles and joints and causes cramps. More lactic acid equals more mosquitoes.
Yet there is one other reason why mosquitoes like folks who have just finished jogging. They tend to have a higher metabolic rate than others around them. Nature’s great gift to the mosquito is the capacity to sense carbon dioxide. Since mosquitoes feed on mammals, and all mammals exhale carbon dioxide, what better way for a mosquito to find food than to locate the nearest carbon dioxide?
Metabolic Rate and Mosquito Attraction
As mentioned earlier, the primary way that mosquitoes sense prey is by detecting the carbon dioxide that they exhale. Those with a higher resting metabolic rate will tend to be more attractive to mosquitoes than those with a lower resting metabolic rate. Both pregnant women and obese people tend to have higher metabolic rates. If you’re not interested in purchasing a can of mosquito repellant (doctors recommend those with 15% DEET) then you can minimize the impact that mosquitoes will have on you by keeping at least one pregnant woman or obese person at arm’s length at all times.
What else raises your metabolic rate? Alcohol! Initially, researchers believed that the secretion of ethanol through sweat attracted these little buggers. But one study showed that simply wasn’t the case. Instead, it makes you breathe faster creating more CO2.
Type-O Blood
Those with Type-O blood aren’t just going to have a hard time in the hospital if they need a transfusion, they are also much tastier to mosquitoes. One study showed that mosquitoes landed on those with Type-O blood twice as often as those with other blood types.
Additionally, around 85% of folks send out a chemical signal indicating what their blood type is. Mosquitoes were far more attracted to those who secrete than those who didn’t, and they were the most attracted to those with Type-O blood who secreted. Sorry, guys.
Ankle Biters and Bacteria
One study showed that mosquitoes are more attracted to certain types of bacteria that naturally live on our skin than they are other types of bacteria. Our feet tend to be the areas where we have the most bacteria. Additionally, mosquitoes can’t fly very well in the wind. Even 1 mph of wind is more than the tiny mosquito can handle. For that reason, then tend to stick close to the ground.
The Color Of Your Clothing
Did you go through a phase in high school where you wore a lot of black clothing? If so, you may remember that you were more attractive to mosquitoes. Since mosquitoes stick close to the ground to avoid flying problems in the wind, they rely on the contrast between your clothing and the horizon to differentiate you from a car or some other inanimate object that emits carbon dioxide. Wearing light clothing can minimize your attractiveness to mosquitoes.
Genetic Factors
While scientists have yet to isolate every variable that makes one person attractive to mosquitoes and another person naturally repellant, genetic factors are believed to make up 85% of the difference. At this point in time, no gene modification treatment can reduce your mosquito exposure, but if you can find someone who is more attractive to mosquitoes than you are, you can essentially create a lightning rod.
Insect Repellant
Today, many folks apply insect repellant in the hopes of warding off mosquitoes. Cities are all spraying overhead to reduce mosquito populations. These pesky critters are the bane of human existence. No one wants to be bitten by a flying vampire.
Talk To A Missouri Pest Control Expert Today
One thing you can do to ward off mosquitoes is to stay indoors during dusk and dawn (when they’re the most active). But your home needs sufficient screens that are small enough to keep these critters away. Talk to Amco Ranger pest control today about creating a veritable fortress to keep these buggers out where they belong!
Find out what diseases mosquitoes could carry.
