Why do mosquitoes bite you more than others?

Female mosquitoes suck the blood of humans and other animals to get the food they need to reproduce. They use smell, touch and sight to choose their bloodsucking target, some species are more picky. Mosquitoes that cause dengue fever can transmit the virus to healthy people through their bites.

Release CO2 gas

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the signals that mosquitoes first perceive before approaching humans, released every time you exhale. Mosquitoes can detect CO2 from a distance of up to 9 m. People who exhale a lot of CO2, have a high metabolic rate, are tall, are pregnant or have just exercised are more likely to attract mosquitoes. The mosquito then uses visual cues to focus on the target.

Outfit color

Clothing affects the ability of mosquitoes to identify and bite humans. When detecting CO2, mosquitoes look for colors and high contrast to easily identify the host. They are attracted to long wavelengths and dark colors, while light-colored clothing contrasts less with the sky, helping you avoid mosquitoes while keeping your body cool. Therefore, choosing light-colored clothes and body coverings is a simple way to help reduce the risk of mosquito bites.

Temperature

People who drink alcohol, exercise recently, pregnant women or are overweight are more likely to attract mosquitoes than others due to changes in skin chemistry, body temperature, metabolism and hormones. In addition to CO2 and visual signals, high body temperature is a key factor that helps mosquitoes locate blood vessels near the skin when approaching the host.

Blood type

People with different blood types possess specific proteins (antigens) on the surface of red blood cells. There are four main blood types: A (only A antigen), B (only B antigen), AB (both A and B) and O (no A or B antigen). Some people also secrete these antigens in body fluids such as saliva or tears, called antigen secretors. For example, people with type A blood secrete type A antigens, while people with type O secrete H antigens – precursors of A and B. Mosquitoes seem to be more attracted to people with type O blood than to other blood types.

Body odor

If you get bitten by mosquitoes more than other people, it may be because your body odor attracts them. Some factors that affect body odor for mosquitoes include:

Compounds on the skin: Compounds such as ammonia and lactic acid make some people more attractive to mosquitoes.

Bacteria on the skin: People with a large number of bacteria but little diversity, especially odor-producing bacteria like staphylococcus, are more likely to be bitten by mosquitoes.

Genetics: Mosquitoes are more attracted to the scent on the hands of identical twins than they are of fraternal twins.