Why Mosquitoes Bite Some People More Than Others

Are you one of the people preferred by mosquitoes? The reason is not the sweet blood. Which factors play a role instead, you will find out in the following.

Some people seem to have a magical attraction to mosquitoes. For decades, the general explanation for this phenomenon has been “You must have sweet blood.” In fact, there is no scientific evidence to support this assumption. What has been proven, however, is that (among other things) body odour is decisive in determining whether the bloodsuckers settle on the skin.

Who do mosquitoes fly at?

However, this does not mean that people who have an unpleasant body odor are stung more often. Rather, the composition of the body odor determines whether the mosquito flies at you or not. Researchers from Great Britain and the USA have also shown that genes play a role in determining the risk of mosquito bites. The study was conducted using 18 identical and 19 fraternal twins. The analysis showed that identical twins were similarly popular with mosquitoes. In contrast, fraternal twins had different degrees of popularity.

Besides genes, other factors also play a role. For example, pregnant women are said to be stung more often than other women. And people with an elevated body temperature also seem to be particularly attractive to mosquitoes. They are surrounded by a light air stream, which is decisive for the bloodsuckers.

How to protect yourselves from mosquitoes

There are numerous ways to protect yourself from the annoying mosquito bites. Here are a few suggestions:

• Attach mosquito nets: but the netting should be less than one millimeter in diameter.
• Long, light-colored clothing: Make sure your clothes aren’t too tight, so mosquitoes can’t bite through them.
• Candles: Burning the candle produces carbon dioxide – and this distracts the insects from their preferred target. A scented lamp is also used to ward off the insects.
• Perfume renunciation: Floral scents of fabric softener and perfumes attract mosquitoes.
• Showering: Especially after sports, because the smell of sweat also attracts bloodsuckers.
• Avoid stagnant waters: because they are ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes.