There are actually some things that make a person more attractive to the little buggers – and the good news is that some of them (like clothing and beverage choice) are under your control! Others (like your blood type, body type, and acid secretion) not so much.
Not only are the bites itchy and annoying, mosquitoes carry diseases like malaria, zika, yellow fever, and a bunch of others you really don’t want to catch.
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Anyone who’s ever been the target of mosquitoes would probably love to figure out how to remove themselves from at least a few of these categories – and if you’ve always believed that mosquitoes love your blood more than the next person’s, well, it’s not all in your head after all!
#5. Clothing Color
Photo Credit: Egor Kamelev
If you wear red, or dark colors like black and blue, you’re more likely to attract the bloodsucking, disease carrying insects. The reason?
According to medical entomologist Dr. Jonathan Day, mosquitoes “keep close to the ground. Down there, they spot hosts by comparing your silhouette to the horizon. Dark colors stand out, while light shades blend in.”
#4. Blood Type
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85% of humans produce a secretion that reveals their blood type to animals that are sensitive to that sort of thing – and people with Type O blood are 83% more likely to get bitten than those with other types.
If you’re interested (and of course you are!), people with Type A are the least likely to be targeted and people with Type B are in the middle. We don’t care about those weirdos with Type AB because they’re like half-human hybrids or something. I’m pretty sure that’s right.
#3. Drinking
Photo Credit: Maurício Mascaro
Drinking alcohol raises your metabolic rate and your body temperature, both of which make you more attractive to mosquitoes.
#2. Weight/Pregnancy
Photo Credit: George Jr Kamau
Don’t kill me for lumping these two together, expecting mamas, but the reason behind them is the same. Mosquitoes detect potential prey by their CO2 emissions – which are much higher in heavier people (and pregnant women can exhale up to 21% more CO2 than non-pregnant women).
#1. Body Chemistry
People who produce excess amounts of lactic (like when you’re exercising) and uric acid are at a higher risk, as are people with higher concentrations of steroids or cholesterol lingering on their skin. So don’t hang around outside after a workout, and be aware of what medications you’re taking or conditions you might have that could change the way you smell on a micro-level.
And now you know why you’re always being bitten – even if you can’t necessarily do a damn thing about it (sorry).
