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You’ve probably experienced those situations when you’re outdoors in the summer with friends, whether by the water, hiking in nature, or just at a campfire, and you’re covered from head to toe in mosquito bites while your friends aren’t even touched.
Doesn’t that seem unfair?
Believe it or not, there is a scientific explanation for this strange phenomenon. And fortunately for you, there are also ways you can deal with it so mosquitoes won’t bite you in the future.
How do mosquitoes choose people?
There are several factors that determine whom mosquitoes pick as their next victim. Almost all of them, however, are beyond your control.
Here are 4 types of people this insect prefers most:
1. Mosquitoes prefer “sticky” people
Your sweat contains several components that mosquitoes like. The most attractive of these is lactic acid.
The more you sweat, the more attractive you are to mosquitoes. Evidence also suggests that older sweat is much more appealing to them than fresh sweat.
That’s also why, the longer it has been since your last shower, the more frequently you’ll be bitten by mosquitoes.
2. Mosquitoes love alcohol consumers
If you thought until now that alcohol repels mosquitoes, it’s exactly the opposite. This is fairly bad news for lovers of wine, beer, or other alcohol.
A 2002 study confirmed that as the alcohol content in your sweat and breath increases, so does your attractiveness to mosquitoes.
3. Mosquitoes have a taste for certain types of bacteria
Bacteria are not only found in our intestines (gut microflora), but literally all over the body, which is scientifically called the microbiome.
Each of us, however, has slightly different bacteria on us. And some of them repel mosquitoes while others attract them.
A 2011 study showed that generally people with a larger volume of bacteria on their skin tend to be more attractive to mosquitoes.
The cited study focused on bacteria on the feet. So if you tend to have foot odor, then you will very likely be a more attractive target for mosquitoes.
4. Mosquitoes prefer blood type “O”
Another study conducted in 2013 concluded that mosquitoes bite people with blood type “O” significantly more often. It was least common for blood type “A”.
The “B” and “AB” groups were somewhere in the middle on the attractiveness scale. Why this is so is not yet known.
