“Will there be someone who will mourn the loss of mosquitos?”
That’s a question we found ourselves asking quite often most especially when the sunnier days are just around the corner.
The answer is, it’s not likely.
In the next couple of months, we’ll be restocking on those citronella plants and insect repellents.
Then, in the middle of a barbecue or in the outdoors, you’ll find yourself listening to a story then a “whack!”
We know that you’ve thought of every way to avoid these “suckers”, quite literally.
Hold on to that thought first because depending on these criteria, either you’re another person’s repellant or they are yours.
Hear us out.
As science has revealed recently, some people are actually a mosquito’s preferred soup du jour.
In other words, there are some people who are much more susceptible to being bitten compared to others.
First, what’s the “flavor” of your blood?
Mosquitos feed on blood and different people have different blood types. Let’s just say different people have different wine favorites and so do these annoying insects.
And for blood types, Type O is their Vintage 1985. A study showed that they landed on people with Type O blood twice as much as Type A-blooded people.
Type B settled somewhere in between that spectrum.
Secondly, your metabolism.
The smell of lactic acid, uric acid, ammonia, and other chemicals that goes into our sweat can help mosquitos decide who their next meal would be.
Athletic types, especially those who go on afternoon runs in hotter climates, can attract these annoying insects.
Thirdly, gas and body size.
Mosquitos can also locate their next meal by, well, the smell of gas. Not the one that goes out the other end but more of what we turn oxygen into — carbon dioxide.
People who exhale more such as those who just got off the treadmill or larger people can attract more mosquitos than others.
Fourth, what’s living on your skin?
A 2011 study revealed that particular types and volumes of bacteria that naturally live on our skin can determine how appetizing we are to mosquitos.
The verdict – having lots of cultures but spread among a greater diversity of species of bacteria might make mosquitos take a pass on us.
Fifth, they like beer, too.
Love drinking beer outdoors when camping or at barbecues? Bad news, beer makes you more attractive to mosquitos.
One study found that a single 12-ounce bottle can make you the meal of the day.
They are still investigating if this is because of the amount of ethanol in sweat or if it’s because alcohol can increase body temperature.
Lastly, mosquitos care about fashion sense.
Okay, maybe not your entire ensemble. But some experts said that wearing darker colors such as black, dark blue, purple, or red can attract mosquitos.
So the next time you go outdoors, maybe lean towards the brighter colors. One, you can easily be spotted in case of emergencies. And two, you won’t be mosquito fodder.
It might be strange but apparently, there are studies that back these up.
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