Mosquito Season Is Here! Tips on How to Avoid Being Bitten

When it’s mosquito season, it isn’t fun. No one likes mosquitoes as getting bitten by them is itchy. Time to learn tips on how to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. I have noticed that when out walking with friends, they are getting bitten more than I am.

Do You Wonder Why Mosquitoes Bite Some People More Than Others?
I started looking into why that is and found some interesting information.

The first thing is not to slap the mosquito on your body, because that brings your blood to the surface of your skin. Now that makes you very attractive to them.

3 Easy Things You Can Do to Keep Mosquitos Away 

Mosquitoes are attracted to human smell. 

1. Sweating Attracts Them
   Perspiration attracts mosquitoes. Stay cool, as mosquitoes are heat-seeking insects. They will find you when you are warm and will sense your body heat within a few yards. 
2. Keep Clean, Have a Shower
   When you stink, it is easier for a blood-seeking mosquito to find you. Wash with soap and use a deodorant.
3. Change Your Socks
   Yes, this is based on actual scientific research. Mosquitoes love smelly feet.  Smelly feet attract blood-sucking insects to humans. There is a bacteria that grows on human feet, luring mosquitoes.

Which Foods and Drinks Attract Mosquitos?

Sweet Foods and Desserts
When it has a sweet, floral scent, mosquitoes are attracted to some floral scents. This also applies to drinks that have a floral scent or contain a floral ingredient.

Lactic Acid
This seems to be a definite attraction to most mosquitoes. When you eat foods such as milk, cheese, soya, yogurt, and pickled vegetables, they create lactic acid on your skin, which attracts mosquitoes. Eat dairy-free: Here is a link to recipes: https://www.realfoodforlife.com/vegan-recipes/

Stinky cheeses: “Mosquitoes have been shown to be attracted to carboxylic acids produced by bacteria on our skin,” Buckner says. But carboxylic acids include butyric acid, a compound found in “stinky” cheeses like Limburger.

Bananas
A study found that people who ate bananas attracted more mosquitoes than those who ate grapes.

Alcohol Attracts Mosquitos
“Researchers asked attendees at the 2023 Lowlands music and arts festival in the Netherlands to place their arms against an acrylic box full of mosquitoes to see how many of the bugs attempted to land on them. Beer drinkers were 44% more attractive to the bloodsuckers than people who had abstained from suds for at least 12 hours”

Here are some delicious alcohol-free recipes:

Bloody Mary Alcohol-free Recipe Is Healthy and Delicious

Sparkling Cucumber Lemon Water Is Healthy & Good On Warm Days

Festive Fruit Punch Easy to Make for a Party Without Alcohol is Delicious

An Interesting Thing is that Blood Type Plays a Role

People with Type O blood show higher landing rates by certain mosquito species than those with other blood types. A 1974 study recruited 102 participants to examine various individual factors that could attract mosquitoes. When the researchers analyzed the results, they found that mosquitoes preferentially fed on people with blood type O. – https://www.healthline.com/health/mosquito-blood-type#research. They are least attracted to blood Type A.

Colors That Attract and Not Attract Mosquitos

Red, orange, and black are the colors that attract them most when they detect carbon dioxide in your breath.

“When light interacts with human skin, regardless of skin pigmentation, it reflects a reddish color,” explains Nancy Troyano, Ph.D., a board-certified entomologist and Director of Operations Education and Training with Ehrlich Pest Control. “Therefore, the color red may be one of several cues that mosquitoes use to help them locate their host.”

It has been found that dark colors attract mosquitoes, whereas light colors blend in and aren’t noticed.

Human Scents That Attract Blood-Thirsty Mosquitoes

Did you know it’s only female mosquitoes that bite? They need the protein found in blood to reproduce.

• Body odor– You can keep them away by washing regularly, which reduces odor. It is interesting that fresh sweat is not attractive because it has no bacteria. It is best not to use fragrant perfumes and scents as they may attract mosquitoes.

• Carbon dioxide is what we exhale. When we exhale, chemicals such as lactic acid, uric acid, and fatty acids combine with carbon dioxide to form a special carbon dioxide cocktail. This attracts mosquitoes to human blood.  Smaller people, like children, exhale more CO2 than larger people. This explains why adults are probably bitten more often than children. Note: pregnant women also exhale higher amounts, which makes them very attractive to mosquitoes.

When Do Mosquitoes Like to Eat?

Mosquitoes feed at dawn and dusk, as that is when humidity rises. Also, when the wind dies down.  It is best to stay indoors at those times to avoid mosquito bites. A fan pointed in their direction can do a great job of keeping them away.