Jul 21, 2005 2:06 pm US/Mountain
Mosquito Magnet: Are You A Target?
Have you ever noticed how some people seem to get eaten alive by mosquitoes while others never get bit?
Exactly what attracts mosquitos to some people and not to others is somewhat of a medical mystery. Research on the phenomena dates to 1784.
Researchers wonder why it is one can put on all the Deet and bug spray in the world and you still get bitten while everyone else is fine.
A hungry mosquito will travel more than 30 miles for a good meal, so the goal is to avoid being that good meal.
Research indicates mosquitoes identify their target by size, heat and smell. That means there are a few precautions to avoid getting the bite. For example, the better you smell the better you taste. So fragrances, lotions, and luscious shampoos make one a bug magnet.
Clothes also play a role as well. Bugs love dark solids and tend to avoid people wearing stripped or floral shirts. Heat and moisture are big attractants as well. That means, if you're running around working up a sweat prepare to start swatting.
And if running around made you work up a thirst, the worst thing to guzzle is alcohol, especially cold beer. When beer pours out from human pores, its a bugle call to mosquitoes.
Also, it might be a good idea to wait a while before going out after eating dinner. The lactic acid from digestion makes a mosquito's mouth water.
Unfortunately, there are a few things that make you a tasty target no matter what you do.
"I get bit all the time," one mosquito victim said. "Every day of the week. Even going from the grocery store to the car"
Mosquitoes also are attracted to darker-haired individuals. Size makes a difference, too. The bigger the better, as far as a mosquito is concerned. After all, why go for a mini burger when you can take have a big one.
Movement is also attractive to mosquitoes. If you can't sit still, you'll be even more fidgety swatting away
And women who are in mid-cycle, the surge in hormones make you extra tasty to pesky mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes also have a penchant for carbon dioxide. Some people, especially men and pregnant women, breath out CO2 by the carload. There's no way to stop it. You can't hold your breath.
Mosquitoes are actually considered one of the deadliest creatures on earth, killing more than 3 million people a year with a variety of diseases.
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