The answer is unavoidable and lies in your skin.
If you live in a warm climate or you’re traveling south this winter, staying away from mosquitoes and their nagging bites may be high on your list. A vacation can be easily ruined if swarming bugs are keeping you form enjoying your meal or your adventure. Mosquitoes are also known to carry a number of infectious diseases. Avoiding their tendrils is always a good idea.
Some people seem to attract mosquitoes much more than others, however. Is this you? While myths have long said you may be getting bitten in excess because you’re simply too sweet, scientists say this isn’t the case. Researchers have now discovered there’s a bit more to the equation. Being a mosquito magnet isn’t something you can really control at all.
Mosquitoes are attracted to certain skin odors
Researchers at Rockefeller University say the answer as to why some people are so attractive to mosquitoes lies in their skin. Female mosquitoes are the ones that bite and they do so to feast on your blood. Female mosquitoes cannot produce their eggs without a blood meal. This causes them to bite humans and animals as a source of food. Mosquitoes don’t use their eyesight to track down their victims. Rather, they sense your CO2 being exhaled, as well as your body odor and body heat.
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Little reliable and credible data has ever been able to prove why some people get bitten more than others. Researchers are now saying that individual variations in your skin’s odor and its microbiota are to blame. These make some people more attractive victims. Fatty acids emanating from your skin create a scent that few female mosquitoes are able to resist.
“There’s a very, very strong association between having large quantities of these fatty acids on your skin and being a mosquito magnet,” says Leslie Vosshall, head of Rockefeller’s Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior. Unfortunately, there’s little you can do to change this fact.
Once a mosquito magnet, always a mosquito magnet
In a study done on mosquito behavior it was found that mosquitoes swarmed readily to some participants, while leaving others alone. People who are mosquito magnets produce carboxylic acids in much greater quantities than people who are less attractive to mosquitoes. The other bit of bad news is that, once a mosquito magnet, always a mosquito magnet.
To protect yourself from being bitten, wear clothing that covers your skin when outdoors such as long sleeves and long pants. Avoid wearing strong perfumes and apply mosquito repellent often to hide your skin’s scent. It’s also a good idea to make sure there is no standing water on your property as this can be an attractive environment for mosquito breeding, which can make matters worse.
The vast majority of mosquitoes don’t spread diseases to people. Some do, however, and it’s important to stay healthy.
For more on mosquitoes and how to protect yourself against them, click here. Tell the mosquitoes to buzz off and leave you alone for peace of mind and comfort!
photo credits: Tunatura/Shutterstock.com
