Some people always seem to attract mosquitoes more than others. If this is your case, you should know that certain very specific criteria govern the choice of these insects. We explain which ones to you.
Temperatures are rising. Summer is almost back, and in its wake the most feared summer insect: the mosquito. Lurking in the shade of your bedroom, the female mosquito (the only one that bites) is waiting for the best candidate to feed. It will not have escaped you, everyone is not equal in the face of bites. Two groups oppose each other, those who are almost never victims, and those who wake up every morning with one or more protuberances just waiting to be scratched.
But what can define the fatal choice of the mosquito? Often, we hear that these insects are particularly sensitive to blood sugar levels. However, there is nothing. No scientific analysis has yet been able to demonstrate this. If for many years the mystery remained whole, several studies have highlighted a number of very specific criteria that guide the choice of mosquito. We explain which ones.
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The smell of skin attracts them
If mosquitoes are not sensitive to blood sugar, they do have a particularly developed sense of smell. What will interest the mosquito is not the perfume or the fragrance of your shampoo: it is the body odor. The insect would be able to detect more than 150 different scents from the human body. A real olfactory detector! Certain body odors will therefore attract mosquitoes more, for reasons that are not yet well known. However, it is possible to deduce that a person with stronger emanations will attract stings more easily.
Mosquitoes detect CO2
In general, insects are much more sensitive than us to the presence of CO2 in the air. When we exhale, mosquitoes can spot the CO2 cloud up to 30 meters away. If you emit a significant amount of CO2, you are therefore more likely to be stung. Several elements can influence the amount of carbon dioxide you exhale: alcohol consumption, first, being overweight, but also body temperature. Pregnant women are also particularly affected by mosquitoes for this reason. Indeed, according to a study published in 2000 by the British Medical Journal, future mothers emit 21% more CO2 than others.
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Some colors attract mosquitoes
Mosquitoes would have a particular appetite for certain colors rather than others. The color of the clothes you wear this summer could well define the number of bites you will suffer! This is revealed by a recent study published in 2022 in the journal Nature Communications. According to these researchers, mosquitoes are particularly interested in red, orange or black. So many colors whose red undertones remind insects of human complexion. To avoid mosquitoes, according to the same experiences, it is best to opt for a green, light blue, purple or even white fabric.
Tiger mosquitoes prefer a certain blood group
A fairly widespread misconception says that mosquitoes are more interested in certain blood groups than others. If it is unfounded when talking about common mosquitoes, lTiger mosquitoes are particularly attracted to group O. According to studies carried out on the subject, people with this blood group have an 85% increased chance of attracting mosquitoes, compared to 45% for others.
Society/Sex/Psycho Journalist
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