If you feel as if every mosquito
in a 50-mile radius has you locked in its sights, while your friends are rarely
bitten, you could be right. Up to 20 percent of us are highly alluring to
mosquitoes—and scientists have discovered some surprising reasons.
“Both your metabolism and your
unique body chemistry—which is as distinctive as a fingerprint—play an
important role in determining whether or not you’re a mosquito magnet,” says
University of Florida entomology professor Dr. Phil Koehler. “Also, there’s
evidence that your degree of attractiveness to mosquitoes can change over
time.”
Here are some intriguing
discoveries about why some of us are particularly tasty targets for the tiny vampires:
1.
Mosquitoes
prefer blood type O
In their quest for a meal,
mosquitoes are nearly twice as likely to land on people with type 0 blood than
those with type A, according to
a Japanese study. Indeed, the biting pests consider type 0
more delectable than any other blood type, the researchers reported. Most
people secrete substances that allow mosquitoes to identify blood type before
they bite.
2.
Beer
drinkers beware
Swigging just one bottle of beer
can significantly boost your risk of being bitten, according to a study
published in Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association. The
researchers reported that, “Mosquito landing on volunteers significantly
increased after beer ingestion compared with before ingestion.”
3.
Watch out
for the full moon
The tiny bloodsuckers are 500
times more active when the moon is full, reports theAmerican
Mosquito Control Association (AMCA). Overall, the highest risk
times for mosquito bites are dusk and dawn, with the females of some species
migrating up to 40 miles in pursuit of a meal. (Male mosquitoes don’t bite.)
4.
Keep your
socks on
The pungent aroma of dirty feet
is apparently irresistible to mosquitoes, as a brave scientist, Bart Knols, discovered when he sat in a lab in his underwear to find
out which parts of the body the pests are most likely to target. He found that
75 percent of the bugs homed in on his feet, but after he washed them with
deodorant soap, the mosquitos bit randomly. His team also reported that stinky
cheeses, such as Limburger—which has the same odoriferous compound responsible
for foot odor—also draws mosquitoes.
5. Mosquitoes know if you’re expecting
Moms-to-be get bitten about twice
as often as women who aren’t pregnant, increasing their risk for bug-borne
diseases, according to a study conducted in Gambia. The researchers
hypothesized that since women in the later stages of pregnancy exhale 21
percent more volume, mosquitos were drawn in by the moisture and carbon dioxide
in their breath. They also found that pregnant women's abdomens are nearly 1
degree warmer, which may cause more volatile substances—released in sweat and
attractive to mosquitos—to be present on their skin. Not only do several other
studies have similar findings, says Dr. Koehler, but “there’s also evidence
that women are more attractive to mosquitoes during certain phases of the
ovulation cycle.” Studies have mixed results as to whether men or women are
more likely to get bitten, he adds.
6.
Running
won’t help you
Both the carbon dioxide we exhale
and substances in sweat, such as lactic acid, help mosquitoes home in on their
prey. As a result, Dr. Koehler reports. “You’re more likely to be bitten if
you’re running or exercising than when you’re at rest, since you’re breathing
harder and sweating more.” In fact, physical activity ups risk for bites by as
much as 50 percent, according to AMCA.
7.
Like
vampires, they prefer dark clothes
Dark-colored clothing can
increase your risk of falling victim to the little bloodsuckers, compared to
lighter-colored garments, says Dr. Koehler. In one study comparing the appeal of
various hues to mosquitoes, the researchers reported the following results:
black (most attractive); red (very attractive); grey and blue (neutral); khaki,
green, light khaki, and yellow (less attractive).
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