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See Also
See Again
© iStock
0 / 29 Fotos
You’re delicious
- Everyone has food preferences, and mosquitoes are no different. Some people are simply more delicious to mosquitoes than others.
© iStock
1 / 29 Fotos
You’re delicious
- An estimated 20% of the human population is highly attractive to mosquitoes.
© iStock
2 / 29 Fotos
They love your sweat - Apparently the more you sweat, the more attractive you become to mosquitoes. A cocktail of lactic acid, uric acid, and ammonia can make you irresistible.
© iStock
3 / 29 Fotos
Lactic acid
- Mosquitoes are most attracted to lactic acid. They actually have receptors in their antennas that allow them to detect the scent of lactic acid.
© iStock
4 / 29 Fotos
Bacteria
- The bacteria on your skin might be irresistible to mosquitoes. Your skin flora—the microorganisms that live on your skin—can be really yummy to these insects.
© iStock
5 / 29 Fotos
Bacteria - In fact, a study has found that skin microbiota can determine how delicious you are to malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
© iStock
6 / 29 Fotos
DNA - But what determines the difference in the chemicals your body produces that attract mosquitoes? Your genes.
© iStock
7 / 29 Fotos
DNA - Yes, you can inherit some really tasty genes... for mosquitoes, that is.
© iStock
8 / 29 Fotos
Carbon dioxide
- How much carbon dioxide you emit can affect your attractiveness to mosquitoes, and yes, they are able to detect it.
© Shutterstock
9 / 29 Fotos
Carbon dioxide - How do they do this? Well, they have a sort of natural CO2 radar, that will guide them to the closest buffet.
© iStock
10 / 29 Fotos
High body temperature - When your body temperature is higher, for instance after you exercise or during a hot day, mosquitoes are more likely to love you.
© iStock
11 / 29 Fotos
High body temperature
- This is because when you’re running hot, your blood will be closer to the surface of your skin. This will mean an easy blood feast for mosquitoes!
© iStock
12 / 29 Fotos
Blood type
- Unfortunately there is nothing you can do about this one. Mosquitoes are more attracted to a particular blood type.
© iStock
13 / 29 Fotos
Blood type
- A study suggests that mosquitoes favor people with type O blood, as compared to other blood groups.
© iStock
14 / 29 Fotos
Beer
- This is yet another reason why mosquitoes love barbecues. Apparently, when you drink beer, you become more attractive to mosquitoes.
© iStock
15 / 29 Fotos
Beer - According to a study, drinking just one beer (350 ml) might be enough to make you irresistible to these bloodsucking creatures.
© iStock
16 / 29 Fotos
Pregnant women - While male mosquitoes are vegetarians, female mosquitoes go hunting for blood to get a protein they need to make their eggs. So, mommies-to-be kind of help female mosquitoes to produce eggs.
© Shutterstock
17 / 29 Fotos
Pregnant women - Not only do pregnant women have higher body temperatures, they also emit more carbon dioxide, making them more susceptible to being bitten.
© Shutterstock
18 / 29 Fotos
Pregnant women
- In fact, according to a study, pregnant women are twice as likely to be bitten as compared to non-pregnant women.
© iStock
19 / 29 Fotos
Fashion - Mosquitoes can detect dark colors much better. These colors combined with movement make you an easy target. So black, navy, red, and other bold colors can work against you.
© iStock
20 / 29 Fotos
Fashion - On the other hand, white, beige, and khaki might offer a certain degree of camouflage.
© iStock
21 / 29 Fotos
Fashion - Reportedly, in 2010, women in Thailand were discouraged from wearing black leggings because of the risk of contracting dengue fever from mosquito bites.
© Shutterstock
22 / 29 Fotos
Just use repellent?
- Despite the unpleasant smell, using repellent sounds like a safe bet, right? Well, kind of. There's a bit of a problem with using repellent.
© iStock
23 / 29 Fotos
Just use repellent? - Mosquitoes are a bit like bacteria and they can easily develop a resistance to DEET (the most common repellent), and this can happen in a matter of hours!
© iStock
24 / 29 Fotos
Diet - You might have heard that garlic can work as an insect repellent. Well, this is a myth.
© iStock
25 / 29 Fotos
Diet - The same goes for the use of vitamin B12 as a natural repellent for mosquitoes.
© iStock
26 / 29 Fotos
Allergic reaction
- Some people really do suffer when they’re bitten by mosquitoes. But this doesn’t necessarily mean these people are more prone to being bitten. It’s just that they’re more sensitive to the bites. When a mosquito bites you, your body has an allergic reaction and produces histamine, causing hives and itchiness. Some people just release more histamine than others.
© Shutterstock
27 / 29 Fotos
What can I do?
- As you can see, there’s only so much you can do to prevent mosquito bites. Basically choose the right clothes, apply some repellent, don’t drink beer, keep cool, and don’t sweat. It does sound like a boring summer though.
© iStock
28 / 29 Fotos
© iStock
0 / 29 Fotos
You’re delicious
- Everyone has food preferences, and mosquitoes are no different. Some people are simply more delicious to mosquitoes than others.
© iStock
1 / 29 Fotos
You’re delicious
- An estimated 20% of the human population is highly attractive to mosquitoes.
© iStock
2 / 29 Fotos
They love your sweat - Apparently the more you sweat, the more attractive you become to mosquitoes. A cocktail of lactic acid, uric acid, and ammonia can make you irresistible.
© iStock
3 / 29 Fotos
Lactic acid
- Mosquitoes are most attracted to lactic acid. They actually have receptors in their antennas that allow them to detect the scent of lactic acid.
© iStock
4 / 29 Fotos
Bacteria
- The bacteria on your skin might be irresistible to mosquitoes. Your skin flora—the microorganisms that live on your skin—can be really yummy to these insects.
© iStock
5 / 29 Fotos
Bacteria - In fact, a study has found that skin microbiota can determine how delicious you are to malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
© iStock
6 / 29 Fotos
DNA - But what determines the difference in the chemicals your body produces that attract mosquitoes? Your genes.
© iStock
7 / 29 Fotos
DNA - Yes, you can inherit some really tasty genes... for mosquitoes, that is.
© iStock
8 / 29 Fotos
Carbon dioxide
- How much carbon dioxide you emit can affect your attractiveness to mosquitoes, and yes, they are able to detect it.
© Shutterstock
9 / 29 Fotos
Carbon dioxide - How do they do this? Well, they have a sort of natural CO2 radar, that will guide them to the closest buffet.
© iStock
10 / 29 Fotos
High body temperature - When your body temperature is higher, for instance after you exercise or during a hot day, mosquitoes are more likely to love you.
© iStock
11 / 29 Fotos
High body temperature
- This is because when you’re running hot, your blood will be closer to the surface of your skin. This will mean an easy blood feast for mosquitoes!
© iStock
12 / 29 Fotos
Blood type
- Unfortunately there is nothing you can do about this one. Mosquitoes are more attracted to a particular blood type.
© iStock
13 / 29 Fotos
Blood type
- A study suggests that mosquitoes favor people with type O blood, as compared to other blood groups.
© iStock
14 / 29 Fotos
Beer
- This is yet another reason why mosquitoes love barbecues. Apparently, when you drink beer, you become more attractive to mosquitoes.
© iStock
15 / 29 Fotos
Beer - According to a study, drinking just one beer (350 ml) might be enough to make you irresistible to these bloodsucking creatures.
© iStock
16 / 29 Fotos
Pregnant women - While male mosquitoes are vegetarians, female mosquitoes go hunting for blood to get a protein they need to make their eggs. So, mommies-to-be kind of help female mosquitoes to produce eggs.
© Shutterstock
17 / 29 Fotos
Pregnant women - Not only do pregnant women have higher body temperatures, they also emit more carbon dioxide, making them more susceptible to being bitten.
© Shutterstock
18 / 29 Fotos
Pregnant women
- In fact, according to a study, pregnant women are twice as likely to be bitten as compared to non-pregnant women.
© iStock
19 / 29 Fotos
Fashion - Mosquitoes can detect dark colors much better. These colors combined with movement make you an easy target. So black, navy, red, and other bold colors can work against you.
© iStock
20 / 29 Fotos
Fashion - On the other hand, white, beige, and khaki might offer a certain degree of camouflage.
© iStock
21 / 29 Fotos
Fashion - Reportedly, in 2010, women in Thailand were discouraged from wearing black leggings because of the risk of contracting dengue fever from mosquito bites.
© Shutterstock
22 / 29 Fotos
Just use repellent?
- Despite the unpleasant smell, using repellent sounds like a safe bet, right? Well, kind of. There's a bit of a problem with using repellent.
© iStock
23 / 29 Fotos
Just use repellent? - Mosquitoes are a bit like bacteria and they can easily develop a resistance to DEET (the most common repellent), and this can happen in a matter of hours!
© iStock
24 / 29 Fotos
Diet - You might have heard that garlic can work as an insect repellent. Well, this is a myth.
© iStock
25 / 29 Fotos
Diet - The same goes for the use of vitamin B12 as a natural repellent for mosquitoes.
© iStock
26 / 29 Fotos
Allergic reaction
- Some people really do suffer when they’re bitten by mosquitoes. But this doesn’t necessarily mean these people are more prone to being bitten. It’s just that they’re more sensitive to the bites. When a mosquito bites you, your body has an allergic reaction and produces histamine, causing hives and itchiness. Some people just release more histamine than others.
© Shutterstock
27 / 29 Fotos
What can I do?
- As you can see, there’s only so much you can do to prevent mosquito bites. Basically choose the right clothes, apply some repellent, don’t drink beer, keep cool, and don’t sweat. It does sound like a boring summer though.
© iStock
28 / 29 Fotos
Why mosquitoes love to bite you
Are you a magnet for these bloodsucking creatures?
© iStock
Mosquitoes are nothing but a nuisance for many of us, but they can also carry deadly diseases, making them feared in some parts of the world. However, these bloodsucking insects seem to have a preference for some people over others, so it's important to understand why.
You may be one of those people who feels like you attract mosquitoes more than anyone else. Some say that the tiny insects are attracted to people who are sweeter, but what is the real reason you are covered in itchy red bumps?
Well, there seems to be quite a few different reasons as to why you're such a magnet for these bloodsucking creatures. But while you have a certain degree of control over some, unfortunately there's nothing you can do about others.
Browse though the gallery and check if you're a favorite among mosquitoes, why they like to bite you, and what you can do about it.
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