What do mosquitoes like

Facebook Twitter. Q: Why do mosquitoes bite some people more than others? Exercise and Metabolism In addition to carbon dioxide, mosquitoes find victims at closer range by smelling the lactic acid, uric acid, ammonia and other substances expelled via their sweat, and are also attracted to people with higher body temperatures. Skin Bacteria Other research has suggested that the particular types and volume of bacteria that naturally live on human skin affect our attractiveness to mosquitoes.

Beer Just a single ounce bottle of beer can make you more attractive to the insects, one study found. Pregnancy In several different studies , pregnant women have been found to attract roughly twice as many mosquito bites as others, likely a result of the fact the unfortunate confluence of two factors: They exhale about 21 percent more carbon dioxide and are on average about 1.

Clothing Color This one might seem absurd, but mosquitoes use vision along with scent to locate humans, so wearing colors that stand out black, dark blue or red may make you easier to find, at least according to Jonathan Day, a medical entomologist at the University of Florida, in commentary he gave to NBC. Posted in: FAQs. Read More ». Also, drinking alcohol or physically exerting yourself raises your metabolic rate—and also your appeal to winged biters, he adds.

While CO2 detection is the primary technique mosquitoes and other blood-sucking bugs use to spot hosts, they also rely on secondary cues to differentiate you from cars, decaying trees, and other CO2-producing objects. And you can control some of those secondary cues, Day says. For example: Dark clothing is more attractive to mosquitoes than light oufits. Down there, they spot hosts by comparing your silhouette to the horizon. Dark colors stand out, while light shades blend in, he says.

At the same time, lots of motion distinguishes you from your surroundings. So what are the best ways to avoid itchy bites? Also, mosquitoes usually feed at dawn and dusk when the wind tends to die down and the humidity rises, Day explains.

We could all then possibly say goodbye to topical insect repellents altogether. Think of the last time the mosquito magnets in your circle of friends started complaining about being bitten after the event where the purported mosquito feast took place.

Just as we do with a range of environmental, chemical or food allergens, we all differ in our reaction to the saliva mosquitoes spit while feeding. Finally, there is no evidence from anywhere in the world that there is something you can eat or drink that will stop you being bitten by mosquitoes.

No, not even eating garlic , or swallowing vitamin B supplements. Portsmouth Climate Festival — Portsmouth, Portsmouth. Edition: Available editions United Kingdom. Become an author Sign up as a reader Sign in. Cameron Webb , University of Sydney.