Reasons Why Mosquitoes Bite Some People More Than Others
Have you ever spent a summer evening hanging outside with friends only to find yourself covered in itchy red mosquito bites and your friends saying they have none? You're not alone! It turns out that mosquitoes really are drawn to some people more than others. While scientists don't yet have a cure for mosquito bites other than not getting bit, they do have some ideas as to why some of us are getting eaten alive and others are untouched. Here are a few reasons as to why your summers may be spent constantly itching mosquito bites.
You're Pregnant
Unfortunately, those who probably want to get bit the least are the ones who attract mosquitoes the most. In several different studies, pregnant women have been found to attract mosquitoes twice as much as others. This is probably due to the fact that they exhale about 21 percent more carbon dioxide and on average are about 1.26 degrees warmer than others.
You Have The Right Blood Type
Just like you have favorite foods, mosquitoes also have a favorite blood type. Studies have found that those with Type O blood are twice as attractive to mosquitoes than those with Type A blood. Those with Type B are somewhere in the middle. In addition, about 85 percent of people produce a secretion that tells mosquitoes what blood type they are, so they are drawn to those types of people more than the non-secretors, regardless of blood type.
You're Exercising
Mosquitoes use their sense of smell to seek out their food source, and they are attracted to certain smells, such as lactic acid, uric acid, ammonia and other compounds that are emitted in sweat. They also like people who run warmer, so a hot sweaty human is quite delicious to them.
You're Breathing Heavily
In addition to strenuous exercise, mosquitoes are also attracted to carbon dioxide, which is emitted when breathing. Mosquitoes are extremely attracted to carbon dioxide and can detect it up to 164 feet away using an organ called a maxillary palp. People who simply exhale more of the gas over time have been shown to attract more mosquitoes than others This is one reason why children tend to get bit less often than adults.
You're Drinking Beer
Not to ruin your fun weekend plans, but studies have found that mosquitoes tend to bite people more after they had just finished drinking a beer. Just a single 12-ounce bottle of beer can make you more attractive to these little suckers. However, scientists don't know the reason why. They thought it was because drinking increases the amount of ethanol excreted in sweat or because it increases body temperature, but neither of these factors was found to correlate with mosquito landings.
You're Wearing Dark Colors
In addition to using their sense of smell, mosquitoes also use their eyes to target their victims. Mosquitoes are highly visual, and wearing colors that stand out, such as black, dark blue or red may make you easier to find.
Although mosquitoes may just be drawn to you, there are a few things you can do to protect yourself from getting bitten by these pesky pests. The best way to keep mosquitoes out of your yard is by calling Best Pest Control company at the Lake of the Ozarks and have us come out to treat your lawn. Our technicians know how to properly treat pests that infect central Missouri so you can enjoy summer the way it was meant to be - outside!
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You're Pregnant
Unfortunately, those who probably want to get bit the least are the ones who attract mosquitoes the most. In several different studies, pregnant women have been found to attract mosquitoes twice as much as others. This is probably due to the fact that they exhale about 21 percent more carbon dioxide and on average are about 1.26 degrees warmer than others.
You Have The Right Blood Type
Just like you have favorite foods, mosquitoes also have a favorite blood type. Studies have found that those with Type O blood are twice as attractive to mosquitoes than those with Type A blood. Those with Type B are somewhere in the middle. In addition, about 85 percent of people produce a secretion that tells mosquitoes what blood type they are, so they are drawn to those types of people more than the non-secretors, regardless of blood type.
You're Exercising
Mosquitoes use their sense of smell to seek out their food source, and they are attracted to certain smells, such as lactic acid, uric acid, ammonia and other compounds that are emitted in sweat. They also like people who run warmer, so a hot sweaty human is quite delicious to them.
You're Breathing Heavily
In addition to strenuous exercise, mosquitoes are also attracted to carbon dioxide, which is emitted when breathing. Mosquitoes are extremely attracted to carbon dioxide and can detect it up to 164 feet away using an organ called a maxillary palp. People who simply exhale more of the gas over time have been shown to attract more mosquitoes than others This is one reason why children tend to get bit less often than adults.
You're Drinking Beer
Not to ruin your fun weekend plans, but studies have found that mosquitoes tend to bite people more after they had just finished drinking a beer. Just a single 12-ounce bottle of beer can make you more attractive to these little suckers. However, scientists don't know the reason why. They thought it was because drinking increases the amount of ethanol excreted in sweat or because it increases body temperature, but neither of these factors was found to correlate with mosquito landings.
You're Wearing Dark Colors
In addition to using their sense of smell, mosquitoes also use their eyes to target their victims. Mosquitoes are highly visual, and wearing colors that stand out, such as black, dark blue or red may make you easier to find.
Although mosquitoes may just be drawn to you, there are a few things you can do to protect yourself from getting bitten by these pesky pests. The best way to keep mosquitoes out of your yard is by calling Best Pest Control company at the Lake of the Ozarks and have us come out to treat your lawn. Our technicians know how to properly treat pests that infect central Missouri so you can enjoy summer the way it was meant to be - outside!
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