Do Mosquitoes Really Pee on You?
WouterApparently, mosquitoes can pee on you. However, the amount of waste produced is minimal, and it’s unlikely the insects will accumulate a lot of it.
Mosquitoes urinate when they’re in the process of feeding. The amount of urine they produce is important for their survival. Most blood-sucking insects also urinate while they’re feeding. It allows the insects to avoid filling up and potentially bursting.
Mosquitoes also produce other excretory gases. One of the most common is hydrogen. Another is potassium chloride. Interestingly, potassium chloride can actually induce excitotoxic death.
There are also a number of odors that attract mosquitoes. A common wives’ tale suggests that mosquitoes prefer sweeter blood. However, scientific research does not support this claim.
Regardless of what type of blood you have, the presence of certain bacteria on your skin can also attract mosquitoes. Some researchers even identified a few individual bacteria species that correlate with people’s attractiveness to mosquitoes.
Another interesting tidbit about mosquitoes is that they use a combination of volatile compounds to determine which type of blood to feed on. These compounds may differ depending on the type of mosquito.
Some studies have shown that pregnant women release more volatile substances. However, this does not necessarily make them more attractive to mosquitoes. Instead, it might keep cold-blooded mosquitoes from overheating.
Researchers also identified two sets of odor receptors used by mosquitoes. One set is known as the Orco receptor and the other is the IR receptor. These receptors allow mosquitoes to detect various body odors.
