Are you a magnet for mosquitoes? Understanding what lures the insidious insects can be useful in avoiding them.
Mosquitoes are a big pain to deal with. When you go with a group of people to the lake or a pond for a dinner barbeque, you feel a pang of dread. It is not because of the fact that you may not get along with everyone who is attending. It is because you know you are going to get bitten up by mosquitoes. It seems that you are the one that those pesky insects like. Why is that?
Let’s go over why because there are 7 reasons that mosquitoes are attracted to you over others.
Your Blood Type
If your blood type is O, then mosquitoes are going to be attracted to you. If your type is A, then you are likely one of those who mosquitoes don’t hang around much. If your blood type is B, they may like you but type O is their favorite. And about 85 percent of people secrete a scent that mosquitoes can detect. If you are one of those people and your blood type is O, then expect to be bitten up.
Carbon Dioxide
Mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide. And if you are large, then that means you will attract them as they can sense the gas output at 160 feet away. This is why small children are not likely to attract mosquitoes as they don’t give off much CO2. But if mosquitoes are always buzzing around your face, that is the reason why as well.
Sweat And Heat
If you are warm and sweating, the mosquitoes are attracted to you. This means they are attracted to compounds including temperature from sweat which is ammonia, uric acid, and lactic acid. This is why it is never a good idea to do strenuous exercises outdoors especially later in the evening when mosquitoes are out.
Microbes On Skin
Everyone has bacteria and microbes on the skin such as mites, and the more you have, the more attracted mosquitoes are to you. You won’t know how lively your skin really is. However, if you are not a large person, and your blood type is A, and you don’t exercise much – but mosquitoes are attracted to you anyway, this could be why.
The Clothing You Are Wearing
Who would have thought that the clothing you wear has an impact on how bitten up you become by mosquitoes? The fact of the matter is that it does. If you wear dark colors such as black or navy blue, or red-colored clothing – you will end up getting bitten. Mosquitoes are attracted to those colors so you will want to stick to lighter colors which can help repel them.
Pregnancy
Mosquitoes can be attracted to pregnant women because of how they release more CO2. This is why if there are any serious viruses going around that mosquitoes can pass on such as Zika, West Nile, or Dengue, then you want to avoid going to areas that have plenty of those pests around. Malaria-carrying mosquitoes in Africa are very attracted to pregnant women, and those are the ones to avoid at all costs.
Beer
It is true that mosquitoes love beer. If you had a tall glass of beer and mosquitoes are all over you, then there is a reason for that. Compounds in the sweat such as ethanol after drinking beer is a possibility. But there could be other reasons that those pests are attracted to those who drink beer.
Mosquitoes are difficult to handle and this is why if you go to a wooded area or an area with water, you want to carry around repellent. At least that will reduce the problem significantly regardless of whether or not you are a magnet to them!
