Why Do Mosquitoes Like Me Best?

Angela

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Are you sweet? Honey attracts more flies than vinegar. Just joking. I read somewhere that it is the CO2 that we breathe out that attracts these insects especially mosquitoes cos that indicates blood and a living animal.
 
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And gnats, and sand fleas, and on and on. Well, they seem to be proving that it's genetic, but aren't specific about precisely the genetic variant involved. I always thought it was hormonal, but who knows?

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/201...itoes-like-to-bite-you-best-its-in-your-genes

I am a victim. I hate nets on the windows, the only thing that keeps them away is a rotating fan or ac, but there is a period when none of these are necessary untill it gets really hot. In the meantime I have to rely on tablets you place on a little heater. Luckily these days they have pleasent scents and not too strong. However I dont think they are healthy long term. I also tried your suggestion of putting olive oil. Its ok if its rubbes well in skin. It does work somehow :)
 
There was a theory a few years ago which apparently resulted from a controlled study which indicated people with blood type O were more often bit... they wrote something regarding secreting a chemical which indicated blood type[?]
I don`t recall a lot about it now but I`m not so sure about that theory...
It does seem however some are certainly more prone to get bit..unless you go to Scottish Highlands.. [ truly beautiful place and lovely people]..then the midges don`t seem to be partial, they bite everyone...:)
 
mosquitoes comes at the night time
 
It must absolutely be because I'm so sweet...
smile.gif


Seriously, I'm A+ so it's not being O blood type. I used to think it was perhaps too much estrogen since I have more than my fair share, but men can be victims too. I don't have high sugar levels, so that's out too.

Whatever it is, it definitely affects some people more than others. I've probably told the story before but I was once at a gathering in the British Virgin Islands where I went to a sunset cocktail party on the beach. (This resort prides itself on providing a "natural" experience...none of the heavy spraying they do in Florida, for example.) I kept on swatting at my legs but didn't know what it was...my husband, of course, wasn't bitten even one time. The next day I had hundreds of bites from my knees on down and got impetigo, necessitating a trip off island to get antibiotics shots! At least that time I didn't get dangerous sunburn and sun poisoning.

I know the tropics are not for me, Hope, but it seems the Highlands wouldn't be optimal either. It sounds similar to the Adirondacks...lots of midges around water. Are there black flies too? The ones in the Adirondacks can look as big as World War II bombers.
grin.png


I hate those chemical sprays like Spray Off but I do use them if things get bad. I used to officiate at a lot of Swim Meets. When they were held at night at pools near a lake or marshes, I literally had to hose myself down with it. Can't have the timekeeper dropping the watch to swat herself all the time! Here in the U.S. all windows are screened, but I bring two bottles with me when I go to Italy in the summer.

Ed. I've heard that B Vitamins help, so I may take a supplement this summer and see if it helps.
 
It might be a simple as rate of perspiration and breathing. Some people breath faster or have faster metabolism, producing more CO2 that attracts mosquitoes. Likewise, some people sweat way more than others, and I would be surprise if mosquitoes and other blood suckers are not attracted to some human pheromones. The more one sweats the more pheromones are excreted and evaporated into the air. I know 3 such people close to me who always attracted way more mosquitoes than I, when outside together. My wife screams "Mosquitoes" couple of hours before I can finally see the first one.
 
It must absolutely be because I'm so sweet...
smile.gif


Seriously, I'm A+ so it's not being O blood type. I used to think it was perhaps too much estrogen since I have more than my fair share, but men can be victims too. I don't have high sugar levels, so that's out too.

Whatever it is, it definitely affects some people more than others. I've probably told the story before but I was once at a gathering in the British Virgin Islands where I went to a sunset cocktail party on the beach. (This resort prides itself on providing a "natural" experience...none of the heavy spraying they do in Florida, for example.) I kept on swatting at my legs but didn't know what it was...my husband, of course, wasn't bitten even one time. The next day I had hundreds of bites from my knees on down and got impetigo, necessitating a trip off island to get antibiotics shots! At least that time I didn't get dangerous sunburn and sun poisoning.

I know the tropics are not for me, Hope, but it seems the Highlands wouldn't be optimal either. It sounds similar to the Adirondacks...lots of midges around water. Are there black flies too? The ones in the Adirondacks can look as big as World War II bombers.
grin.png


I hate those chemical sprays like Spray Off but I do use them if things get bad. I used to officiate at a lot of Swim Meets. When they were held at night at pools near a lake or marshes, I literally had to hose myself down with it. Can't have the timekeeper dropping the watch to swat herself all the time! Here in the U.S. all windows are screened, but I bring two bottles with me when I go to Italy in the summer.

Ed. I've heard that B Vitamins help, so I may take a supplement this summer and see if it helps.
It was mostly the small, black midges we encountered Angela...repeatedly.
Roles are reversed between me and my husband to you and yours..when abroad mine gets bit whilst I escape for the larger part and never really bother with any type of repellent.
I`m not sure about B Vitamins but given how determined they can be, I think it a safe bet they will still come in for the bite..if I`m wrong and you find it works, let me know.. [I might share the information with my husband..:grin:]
I had a quick look online regarding that study I mentioned but did not see it..however I did come across this. It`s an old one but I thought we could add it to the list.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?...ez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
 
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It was mostly the small, black midges we encountered Angela...repeatedly.
Roles are reversed between me and my husband to you and yours..when abroad mine gets bit whilst I escape for the larger part and never really bother with any type of repellent.
I`m not sure about B Vitamins but given how determined they can be, I think it a safe bet they will still come in for the bite..if I`m wrong and you find it works, let me know.. [I might share the information with my husband..
grin.png
]
I had a quick look online regarding that study I mentioned but did not see it..however I did come across this. It`s an old one but I thought we could add it to the list.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?...ez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

Well, I don't have to worry about that one...I rarely drink alcohol of any kind, and if I do it's never more than one. Could it perhaps be related to just the amount of sugar in the blood, without necessarily having dangerously or abnormally high sugar levels? Perhaps it's therefore related to diet? I do eat more carbohydrates than protein.

To LeBrok's point, it can't be how much people sweat, at least not in my case. I barely perspire, which is actually a problem. Remember that Victorian(?) phrase that "ladies don't sweat, they just dew"?:LOL: Well, I barely "dew"; it's part of why I can't stand very hot weather; I get overheated. I do have a high metabolism, however, so maybe they don't necessarily go together all the time?

Ed. Goodness, I sound like such a high maintenance "delicate flower"! :disappointed: It's a good thing I have other sterling qualities...:grin:
 
Sorry, gentlemen...it can't explain all of it...A+ and I barely perspire...
We're back to my "sweetness"! :)
 
"Sweet 16, you're beautiful and you're mine" so the song goes but you are not 16 any more...?:unsure:
 

I may try the scotch-tape thing for mosquito bites. I already have lavender growing, and pots of basil. I also bought these new Citronella bracelets this summer. I actually put them around my ankles. I don't like smelling like that but at least I'm not spraying repellants on myself, and you can take them off when you go inside. They really work.
http://www.shopacandle.com/4-citron...colors.html?gclid=CNO9_5CO7cYCFc4WHwodvV0Akg#
 
I think a turning fan would also help diffuse the CO2 and whatever body odor you produce that attract the mosquitoes. Talcum baby powder is said get into the insect armor (exoskeleton) thus causing the insect body fluids to leak. There was an article that indicated that cockroaches would die of dehydration. Maybe applying talcum baby baby powder after a shower 'could' help as it may block your body odor and also maybe the powder could also affect the mosquitoes as they have exoskeletons too.
 
My brother type O is not mosquitoes favorite in my family but my mother and me, cis-AB/O genotype.
 
Being a secretor or non secretor is definitely one of the main aspects. Blood type O people are more likely to be secretors statistically. But you can be any blood type and a secretor and have more of a chance to get ambushed than a non secretor blood type O person.

There was a theory a few years ago which apparently resulted from a controlled study which indicated people with blood type O were more often bit... they wrote something regarding secreting a chemical which indicated blood type[?]
I don`t recall a lot about it now but I`m not so sure about that theory...
It does seem however some are certainly more prone to get bit..unless you go to Scottish Highlands.. [ truly beautiful place and lovely people]..then the midges don`t seem to be partial, they bite everyone...:)
 

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