World Malaria Day 2018: Reasons Why Mosquitoes Love You and How to Keep Them Away

When it comes to biting, even mosquitoes have preferences. Which means, they don’t bite at random. Mosquitoes have an affinity towards certain individuals. That’s probably why you get bitten more often than your friends. Something about your body chemistry makes you particularly delicious to these winged parasites. But that’s not good news for you, considering mosquitoes are disease-carrying vectors which transmit dengue fever, chikungunya, zika and more importantly, malaria. On World Malaria Day 2018, we list down some reasons that make you a mosquito magnet.

Reasons Why Mosquitoes Are Attracted to You

You have O+ Blood

Mosquitoes feed on your blood to consume proteins from it. But a study says that these parasites find specific types of blood particularly delicious and would land more on individuals with O+ blood types. The study published in the Journal of Medical Entomology says that Aedes albopictus mosquitoes tend to land on people who belong to the O blood group that those belonging to B, AB or A group.

You are an adult

One of the many drawbacks of being a grown-up is that you end up with more welts than the pesky kids around you. That’s because mosquitoes love biting adults. These insects are drawn to carbon dioxide sources and particularly love those you exhale more. They detect the presence of the gas through an organ called a maxillary palp. And they are particularly skilled at sniffing it out from as far as over 160 feet away. Since adult bodies inhale more and release more CO2 in the process compared to children, they get bitten more by mosquitoes.

You are pregnant

Mosquitoes show a clear preference for pregnant women. In fact, they are twice as attractive as normal folks. Researchers who studied this phenomenon say that two physiological factors cause this attraction. First, women in the advanced stages of pregnancy exhaled 21 percent more than non-pregnant women. Since mosquitoes are attracted to the moisture and carbon dioxide in the exhaled breath, why they make a bee-line for pregnant women is anybody’s guess. Secondly, the body temperature of pregnant women was 0.7°C more than that of regular women, which made their bodies release more volatile substances. This makes them easy targets for mosquitoes.

Your Body Odour

Each of us has a peculiar bodily smell. A study says that mosquitoes are drawn to some people based on how irresistible their scent is. But that doesn’t mean you smell bad or like a bed of roses. Mosquitoes love the way you smell for some inexplicable reason. Washing your body with soap can minimise your body odour and keep these pesky biters at bay.

You Just Had Beer

Here’s a piece of advice. If you plan on camping in the wild, leave the alcohol back home unless you want to end up with mosquito bites all over your body. Presence of alcohol like beer in your system increases your attractiveness to mosquitoes. A study has found a positive correlation between beer consumption and mosquito bites. It also concludes that having beer can increase your risk of malaria.

Your Skin has Certain Types of Bacteria

No need to panic. Even the healthiest person on the planet has colonies of bacteria living on their skin. But it’s a particular mix of microbes on the skin that makes mosquitoes go wild. Large amounts of limited types of bacteria on your skin draw these parasites to you. It also explains why we get bitten more on our feet and toes more.

You are Taller and Bigger

Perhaps your polite friends may not admit you are overweight but don’t expect mosquitoes to show such kindness. Mosquitoes pick up bigger individuals for their love of carbon dioxide. Larger individuals emit more carbon dioxide since they exhale more. This also includes taller individuals. A study says that midges, a type of mosquitoes, show a clear preference for men who are taller and women with a higher BMI.

You Exercise More

If there is anything that mosquitoes love as much as carbon dioxide, it is lactic acid, a by-product that builds up in your blood after intense exercise. Your body produces lactate to make up for the oxygen deficiency during vigorous exercises, which then gets converted into lactic acid. The acid build-up in your blood gets easily detected by the mosquitoes, making you a sitting duck for mosquitoes.

You Have a Higher Body Temperature

Body heat plays a significant role in increasing your attractiveness to mosquitoes. A higher temperature means that your body releases more volatile substances and distribution of body odours, making you easily spottable on the mosquito’s radar. This is precisely the reason why mosquitoes are drawn towards pregnant women who have a higher body temperature than the others.

Ways to Get Rid of Mosquitoes

India’s malaria menace shows no signs of abating even after all these years. As of 2017, India has the 4th highest number of malaria-related cases and deaths in the world, according to WHO report. Our geographic and climatic conditions make it ideal for mosquitoes to thrive. Whether or not you are a mosquito magnet, here are ways to dodge these pesky parasites and keep your house mosquito free!

Dry Ice: A great way to keep yourself out of the mosquito radar is to distract them with something else. Dry ice or the solid form of carbon dioxide distracts the mosquitoes since they are attracted to the gas. Leave a block out in the corner of the room, and they will no longer bother you.

Citronella: If there is something that mosquitoes hate it is the scent of citronella, a fragrant oil derived from the leaves and stems of lemongrass. Ruba few drops of the oil on the exposed parts of your body and watch the mosquitoes flee. Alternatively, you can also spray your house with a citronella aerosol to keep the parasites at bay.

Beer: Can’t beat them? Appease them! Leave a bowl of beer out for the mosquitoes somewhere in the house, but not anywhere close to you. The smell will keep them distracted.

Take a Bath: If you are particularly sweaty, it becomes easier for the mosquitoes to spot you and snack on you. Wash with good old soap and water to minimise some of your body odours.

Garlic: Vampires are not the only bloodsuckers that garlic can ward off. The overpowering smell of garlic also helps in throwing mosquitoes off their scent trail. The exact mechanisms are not known, but it is a powerful mosquito deterrent. If you are not keen on rubbing garlic all over your body, eating it is equally good.

Apart from these tricks, follow the recommended hygiene required to keep mosquitoes at bay. Clearing stagnant waters, using mosquito repellents, having an immune-strengthening diet, using nets to cover windows and wearing clothes that cover the extremities of your body will go a long way in reducing malaria risk. Malaria can be a severe disease, and if adequate care isn’t taken, it can also turn fatal. So keeping yourself mosquito-proof is of utmost importance to your health.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 25, 2018 11:50 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).