5 reasons mosquitoes love you and how to turn them off

We all love attention. Whether a stranger compliments your eyes, your boss gives you kudos on a job well done, or your friends throw you a surprise party, attention feels good.

But I’ll tell you one type of attention that doesn’t feel good… attention from blood-sucking insects. And for some reason, they seem to pay more attention to me than anyone around me. Do you have the same problem?

I wouldn’t be surprised if you do. Science shows there’s a group of us that have the good fortune of being very attractive to those little buggers. The question is… why are we so lucky?

Why can everyone around us sip their beer, eat their burger throw their frisbee in peace, while we get swarmed by disease-carrying, welt-inducing insects?

Well, it turns out, there are several potential reasons why you could top the mosquitoes’ most desirable list…

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What makes you a mosquito magnet

Research shows that about 20 percent of people are particularly appealing to mosquitoes. And the attraction usually comes down to one of these things:

1. Blood type. Mosquitoes land on people with type O blood about twice as often as people with type A blood. People with type B blood attract more of the insects than type A people but less than type O people.
2. A lot of us (around 85 percent) give off a “scent” (really, a chemical signal) that tells mosquitoes our blood type. Those of us who give off this “scent” are more likely to attract mosquitoes no matter what blood type we have.
3. When you sweat, you release lactic acid, uric acid, and ammonia, which is like putting a mosquito-sized sign on your forehead that says, “Come and get it.” Body heat attracts them, too… another reason they’re more likely to go after you when you’re hot and sweaty.
4. Studies show that drinking alcohol turns you into mosquito bait. So, if you’re already a mosquito-attracting mama, you may want to pass on the cocktails when you’re sitting outside at dusk.
5. Carbon dioxide. Maybe you’re a heavy breather. Maybe you’re pregnant. Maybe you’re just a large person. Regardless, you’re giving off more carbon dioxide… which means you’re attracting more mosquitoes. Carbon dioxide helps them hone in on their prey.

How to make yourself less of a mosquito magnet

So, why are you a mosquito magnet? Is it because you like to drink? Because you’re a sweaty Betty? Because you’re pregnant? Because you have type O blood?

Regardless of the reason, you’ll want to protect yourself from mosquitoes since they’re drawn to you like a moth to a flame (or a mosquito to a cocktail-drinking, sweaty, pregnant woman with type O blood).

Like I mentioned earlier, cutting back on the cocktails can reduce your odds of getting bit by mosquitoes.

So, can your clothing choice. Mosquitoes are drawn to dark clothing, so keeping things light can save you from a bite (a motto to remember when you get dressed in the summer).

You can also keep mosquitoes away with natural bug repellents. They’re available online and in health food stores. You can even make your own repellent using essential oils. Some of the most effective oils for keeping mosquitoes at bay are catnip oil, cinnamon oil, and lemon eucalyptus oil.

Sources:

1. Why Mosquitoes Bite Some People and Not Others — TIME
2. Why Do Mosquitoes Bite Some People More Than Others? — Smithsonian.com
3. Landing preference of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) on human skin among ABO blood groups, secretors or nonsecretors, and ABH antigens — Journal of Medical Entomology
4. Heritability of Attractiveness to Mosquitoes — PLOS ONE
5. Beer Consumption Increases Human Attractiveness to Malaria Mosquitoes — PLOS ONE
6. Alcohol ingestion stimulates mosquito attraction — Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association