The Surprising Secret Behind Why Mosquitoes Prefer Biting Certain People Revealed!

Ever felt like mosquitoes have some secret vendetta against you personally, while your friends walk away unscathed? Turns out, you’re not just imagining it – these tiny vampire fiends really do pick favorites. Besides being annoying party crashers, mosquitoes are the ultimate villains, carrying deadly viruses that have wreaked havoc from bizarre “Frankenstein rabbits” in the US to unsettling outbreaks in China. Now, before you blame just bad luck, an entomology professor from Florida has cracked the code on why these winged nuisances zero in on certain people. Spoiler alert: it’s all in the carbon dioxide you exhale, your body heat, and yes, the color of the shirt you’re wearing. So if you fancy being left alone, you might want to quit breathing so loud or switch to light colors—easy, right? Dive into the science behind your personal mosquito magnet status and maybe find some solace in the facts before you swat your next buzzing nemesis. LEARN MORE

If you’ve ever wondered why it feels like mosquitos are targeting you more than anyone else then not to worry my friend, scientists have finally found the answer.

Of all the bugs out there, mosquitos are probably some of the worst, mainly because of the deadly viruses they can often carry. You only need to see what they’ve been doing to the rabbits in the US to understand that.

China has already taken serious action after a newborn virus started to spread through the pesky bug bites, so it’s easy to see why plenty of people don’t like them.

Now, you may never have suffered a mosquito bite or maybe you get them all the time, but either way you’ll probably be wondering why it is they do or don’t target you.

Jonathan F. Day, an entomology professor at the University of Florida, thinks he’s figured out a reason why, and it turns out that the insects are far more picky than you might imagine.

“These cues let them know they are going to a blood source,” Day said. “Perhaps CO2 is the most important. The amount of CO2 you produce, like people with high metabolic rates ― genetic, other factors ― increases the amount of carbon dioxide you give off. The more you give off, the more attractive you are to these arthropods.”

Basically, you’ll need to stop breathing, exercising and drinking beer if you want to keep them permanently away (Getty Stock)

Considering non-living things such as cars also give off carbon dioxide, the mosquitoes then consider secondary cues before selecting their blood source.

Lactic acid, which is the chemical that causes our muscles to cramp, is also likely to pin a target on your back, with Day explaining some of the other cues which the vampiric animals consider

He said: “Mosquitoes have excellent vision, but they fly close to the ground to stay out of the wind. They are able to contrast you with the horizon, so how you’re dressed matters. If you have on dark clothes, you are going to attract more because you’ll stand out from the horizon, whereas those wearing light colours won’t as much.”

There are plenty of ways to keep them away as well (Getty Stock)

Once the mosquito has landed on you, there are also tactile cues which it thinks about before deciding to bite, with body heat a huge factor in this instance.

Day adds: “Body heat is a really important tactile cue. That comes into play with genetic differences or physiological differences. Some people tend to run a little warmer — when they land, they’re looking for a place where blood is close to the skin.”

Melissa Piliang, a dermatologist at Cleveland Clinic, also suggests that exercising, drinking alcohol and being pregnant or overweight also makes you an attractive proposition for mosquitoes.

So, if you’re planning on doing any of those activities this summer, maybe try and do them away from any malicious mosquitoes, or you could be in for a painful few days.