Why Mosquitoes Love You

Summer is a time for enjoying your home's yard and patio with friends and family, but there's nothing like those pesky mosquitoes to put a damper on the festivities. When summer comes around, some people spend most of the season looking for mosquito bite relief while others go itch-free.

Here are some reasons why some people attract mosquitoes.

Scent

If you are among the chosen ones who mosquitoes flock to for their next meal, consider it a compliment because they like the way you smell good. Mosquitoes don't only gravitate toward floral and sweet scents; they also love the odor of sweat that is high in lactic acid, a substance they find particularly tantalizing.

Temperature

Body temperature can vary from person to person and throughout the day. Summer brings people into higher temperatures. Anyone engaging in physical activities like running and playing, or sitting in the sun, will have an increase in body temperature that gives mosquitoes a clue that you are warm-blooded and ripe for their next meal.

Carbon dioxide

Higher levels of physical activity and larger group gatherings during the summer mean that more carbon dioxide is exhaled into the environment. When mosquitoes detect increased carbon dioxide levels, they use it as a roadmap to the next warmblooded food source. 

Pregnancy

If you are pregnant, you can count on feeding, not just your baby and yourself. Mosquitoes are especially attracted to pregnant women because they are a one-stop-shopping source for most of what they find attractive. Pregnant women tend to have higher body temperatures and more blood flowing through their bodies. They produce more carbon dioxide when they breathe. All this makes them natural mosquito magnets.

Diet

What you eat can be the reason why mosquitoes are attracted to you. Diets high in salt and hot spices can produce more lactic acid or sweat, encouraging mosquitoes to stay close. 

Clothes

If heat attracts mosquitoes, try to avoid anything that can absorb heat, including your clothes. Mosquitoes are more likely to find their next meal on the people in your group wearing dark colors like navy or black because these colors absorb heat, which can also trigger sweating. Favoring light colors can protect you from the intensity of the sun's rays and mosquitoes' bites. 

Although it is possible to take some practical measures to repel mosquitoes, some people will always deal with their itchy bites due to factors they can't control.

 

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