Why Mosquitoes Bite Some People And Leave Others Alone

Summertime gets many people all excited to go to the beach to enjoy their work-free, school-free vacation. Most even stay outdoors almost naked to indulge their skin in a good ol’ natural suntan. But this season may not always be filled of pure excitement because it is also the time when mosquitoes begin to make their presence more known.

Mosquitoes are basically around all the time but they are particularly active when the temperature is no lower than 50 degrees. This is why summer is considered as a period for outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, malaria, chikungunya, the West Nile virus, and the microcephaly causing Zika virus.

During this time, health officials are busy advising people how to prevent getting bitten by mosquitoes. Lots of repellents are available in the market to keep those pesky bugs away. But while you try to use these mosquito-repellants, you may notice that some people tend to get bitten more often than others. This is because mosquitoes have an inclination towards certain types of people.

Fortunately, Dr. Jonathan Day of the University of Florida specified exactly who have a higher risk of being bitten by mosquitoes as featured by TIME.

“Some people produce more of certain chemicals in their skin. And a few of those chemicals, like lactic acid, attract mosquitoes.”

The Blood Types

Dr. Day explained that mosquitoes also prefer to bite people with blood type O while their least favorite are those with type A blood running through their veins. This means almost half of the population have a higher risk of contracting mosquito-borne diseases.

Pregnant Woman

Pregnant women and obese people are also more at risk of getting bitten because of their “higher resting metabolic rates,” he added. Aside from that, these people tend to produce more carbon dioxide which basically makes mosquitoes crazy about biting them.

Dark Clothing

He also explained that people wearing dark clothing have a higher risk of getting bitten because mosquitoes stay close to the ground and choose their target by comparing a person’s silhouette to the horizon. Since dark-colored clothing has higher contrast with the horizon, people who wear them are most likely to be targeted by the bloodsuckers.

Adults

Because of these same reasons, adults are more likely to get bitten than children because of their size.

Dusk

It is also important to note that mosquitoes prefer to hunt at dusk or dawn because it’s during these times that the winds tend to stop.

Thanks to these information, you should be able to determine whether you are a mosquito favorite. If so, take necessary precautions and don’t forget to share this to your friends as well.