When Mosquitoes Don’t Bite You
WouterFortunately, there are plenty of ways to protect yourself against mosquitoes. You can wear light-colored clothing, use a repellent, clean your skin with soap, and wear long sleeves. You can also keep your screens intact.
Mosquitoes are highly visual hunters. They detect our breath, as well as carbon dioxide, from about 164 feet away. They use these methods to identify us as hosts. They are the ones that transmit dengue, malaria, yellow fever, and West Nile. Regardless of how attractive you are, it is important to protect yourself.
The human body releases chemicals when we breathe, work out, or exercise. This release of chemicals makes some people more attractive to mosquitoes than others.
The largest attractor is carbon dioxide. We emit carbon dioxide during our breath, as well as when we exhale. The more carbon dioxide we emit, the more attractive we become to mosquitoes.
The smell of humans is another major attractant. We emit different amounts of chemicals depending on our individual odors.
We also give off a bit of lactic acid when we exercise. However, these are not actually smelly by themselves.
Aside from the obvious body odor, the mosquito can also sense your blood. They can inject saliva to numb the area, as well as to prevent clotting. The saliva contains proteins and anticoagulants, which are important to keeping your blood flowing.
The best way to avoid mosquito bites is to keep yourself out of their habitats. Do not leave standing water around, keep your screens in good condition, and keep your birdbaths filled.
