Mosquitos are those unwanted clingy ‘wannabe friends’ that no one wants to hang out with. Sadly, they don’t get hints and try to stay as close as possible.
Mosquitoes are probably the biggest group of insects to affect human wellbeing and health. They can thrive in diverse habitats, breed in standing water and the worst thing is that they transmit life-threatening blood-borne diseases. If we try to ignore all this (which is not possible), they are still too irritating a presence for our liking.
In this piece here, we will try to list out a few reasons why some of us are inviting mosquitoes (more than other beings) to feast on us.
Well, our human genetics might be one reason. It has been scientifically proven that our blood type and inheritance play a crucial role in that. Our genetics are 85% responsible for the mosquitoes to bite us, according to one study. There are other reasons as well and we have listed some of the top reasons here:
Pregnancy
Being pregnant is a natural pull for mosquitoes. They love to feast on pregnant women’s blood and it has a logical explanation. Conceiving mums attract twice the amount of these flying monsters because their body temperature is warmer by a degree. Also, pregnant women exhale carbon dioxide 21% more than the average person. To ensure the safety of yourself and your child, mosquito control treatments are vital for a pest-free environment.
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Human breathing is enough for mosquitoes to detect you and come after you. Mosquitoes have a special organ called, Maxillary Palp, to detect carbon dioxide. This mosquito organ enables them to detect it from a distance as far as 150 feet away.
Now, you rightfully assume that people who exhale more CO2, are natural magnets for our blood enemies (quite literally) but there’s more. Do you know we don’t just exhale CO2 when we breathe but every single cell in our body anatomy emits it? Do we have to say more?
Colors
‘Do certain colors play a role in attracting more mosquitoes?’
It feels like there is no escape from our enemies with wings.
You think adorning dark colors makes you stand out and you are not wrong it does exactly that for the mosquitoes as well.
Darks, purples and vibrant reds are likely to illuminate your whereabouts and they can come hunting down. You can reduce your chances of being bitten by ignoring these colors. Instead, go for light colors especially if you are outdoors.
Being Active
When you exercise you produce more sweat, your temperature rises, and you emit more CO2 (carbon dioxide). All of these factors attract mosquitoes. At this point, this sounds like whatever you do it is going to send them an invitation to come and suck the blood.
Well, when we definitely cannot change our genetics or stop breathing there are ways to be safe. But it is not that bad and we might be exaggerating in some instances here to highlight steps you can take to reduce mosquito bites; e.g. avoid wearing certain colors and clothing in mosquito season, start using repellents, etc.