Ann Gabriel | Vigorbuddy
Not everyone is bitten by mosquitoes, and that’s a FACT. Mosquitoes do ignore others. If you think that you are the only one being bitten by these pesky insects inside your home, chances are you are correct.
It is a scientific fact that some individuals are more attractive to these insects due to chemicals they secrete from their skin and from their particular skin flora.
Here are some of the reasons why:
Pregnancy
Female mosquitoes (their male counterparts don’t bite) have a thing for carbon dioxide. These blood-sucking insects detect CO2 in the environment. A study was made in 2002 that found out that women in the later stages of pregnancy exhale 21% more CO2 than their non-pregnant peers. Pregnant participants in the experiments that were conducted attracted twice the number of these insects compared to others who weren’t.
Sweat
Lactic acid becomes an attractant for these insects. Mosquitoes are commonly observed to victimize people, who sweat too much. The warm temperature in the human body may also contribute in attracting mosquitoes to a potential host.
Blood Type O
Mosquitoes like ‘Blood Type O’ flavor of blood. Type O blood people have been found to exude a certain odor that these insects are fond of.
Beer Drinkers
Beer drinkers are more prone to mosquito bites. In a similar experiment, scientists found out that beer drinkers have an increased attractiveness to mosquitoes. Although not conclusive, they advised to refrain from drinking beer and staying in mosquito infested areas.
Gene Make-up
On rare occasions, certain people are found to be unattractive by these parasites because they produce natural mosquito repellents, a trait that appears to be genetically controlled.
PREVENTION:
Over the counter, or on shelf mosquito repellents prevent insects from biting unsuspecting victims. We should wear long sleeves or pants to avoid day-biting insects.
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