• Call (800) 479-6583
  • Mon-Fri 8am-5pm
  • |
  • Sat 9am-5pm

Why Mosquitoes Like To Bite Some People Over Others

Camille Landry posted this on Jun 13, 2017

mosquito bite attractionMosquitoes, especially around this time of year with higher temperatures, are icky and annoying pests who very easily can mess up a summertime gathering at the pool or a family BBQ at the park. The way they can just absolutely swarm an area and go on a hunt for a warm blooded body to feast on is enough to drive anyone crazy and have them rushing indoors.


Perhaps even worse than their itchy bites is their alarmingly high potential of carrying harmful diseases which can be transmitted into your body by a simple bite. People will swat away a mosquito who landed on them and was sucking their blood and have no idea that a potentially harmful virus is now traveling through their bloodstream.


According to national statistics, nearly 700 million people end up being infected with an illness brought upon by mosquitoes every year! And out of this large number of people who contract a mosquito borne illness annually, at least over a million die every year from such a disease. Terrifyingly enough, this number continues to grow is has made it so that mosquitoes are the #1 killer of humans worldwide.


As you may have seen in headlines the past couple of years, the Zika virus, which is a newly discovered disease spread primarily by mosquitoes, has led to a public health crisis. The Zika virus now joins a number of other mosquito borne viruses like malaria, West Nile virus, dengue and others as a threat to our wellbeing.


While we all wish we could avoid these dangerous and annoying flying menaces altogether, unfortunately it’s practically impossible because these bugs find their way in all sorts of settings and will stop at nothing to get their blood fix.

Why Me?

You may notice when enjoying some fresh air outdoors with some friends or family that once mosquitoes crash the party, some of you unfortunately may be more liked by the mosquitoes than others. You may wonder what makes your blood so much more appetizing? It would be important to know what attracted mosquitoes to begin so you can lessen your appeal.


In a nutshell, the level of attractiveness your body is to a hungry and blood-thirsty mosquito depends largely upon how you smell. Mosquitoes have great scent receptors in their antennae which gives them the ability to smell any person within a distance of 100 feet.


The way you smell is unfortunately due to genetics which there is very little you can do about. Your genetic makeup is another main reason why mosquitoes like to feast upon you over others who don’t fit their preferences as much. Here are some reasons why mosquitoes may find you a more popular meal over others:


Your Sweatmosquito bite

Did you just come off a hardcore workout? Thumbs up for you burning some calories and getting some cardio in but you have just not become a mosquito magnet.  The more sweaty and smelly you are, especially after exercise, the more appealing you become to a mosquito. When we sweat, we produce something called lactic acid which comes out of us via our sweat glands. Some of us produce more lactic acid than others. Mosquitoes love this chemical and will flock to you.


Also, the more you perspire and the older it is, the more lactic acid becomes built up making you the meal of the day. The solution? If you’ve come back from the gym or had an outside run, head for the shower pronto! Showering and washing off all that lactic acid after a shower can make a huge difference in reducing your meal appeal to mosquitoes.


Boy do us humans produce a lot of bacteria. In fact, our skin is practically crawling with loads of bacteria which is another avenue for mosquitoes to find us and feast on us for supper. An average of one trillion or so bacteria is found on the average person's body.


While the kinds of bacteria living on our skin can vary depending on the individual, some types of bacteria make us more susceptible to being bitten by mosquitoes. An example of some types of bacteria include staphylococcus or variovorax which can be very appealing to mosquitoes. Other kinds of bacteria (such as Pseudomonas, Delftia, and Actinobacteria) can actually make you less attractive to mosquitoes. Now those are the kinds of bacteria you want on your body.


Your Blood Type

We are pretty positive that mosquitoes are negative but did you know that your blood type can make you a tastier treat over others? Blood type factors greatly when it comes to your chances of being targeted by blood loving mosquitoes. According to health experts, people with Type O blood are bitten most often, followed by Type B, then Type A. Surprisingly, Type O’s are so loved by mosquitoes that the amount of bites they receive are nearly double that of Type A.

An interesting tidbit to consider is that an estimated 85 percent of people emit a certain chemical which reveals your blood type to mosquitoes. Once mosquitoes find that out, and you’re a type O, boy oh boy are you going to be a popular treat. Yeesh!


Carbon Dioxide

We’re sorry to tell you, but if you’re a human and you’re breathing, you’re likely to be loved by mosquitoes who are thirsty for a blood meal. This is because when we exhale we release carbon dioxide (CO2). Mosquitoes are drawn to this chemical we produce and so they are practically inescapable. The more CO2 you produce the more you’re likely to be feasted upon, thus women who are pregnant and overweight individuals who tend to breathe heavier are prime targets and thus need to take extra precaution to prevent mosquitoes from tearing into them with bites.


If you like to drink beer, you are also more likely to be bit because drinkers breathe heavier when under the influence so that may mean mosquitoes will love to drink you!


Make Mosquitoes Bite The Dust

With the temperatures now warmer, mosquitoes will be on a relentless attack. Prepare yourself and fend them off so you can enjoy the weather outside. Solutions Pest & Lawn has a number of mosquito control options that can keep mosquitoes at bay and reduce the amount of bites you receive outside.


Categories: Mosquitoes
To top

Contact Us