Ah …. summer. It the time for fireworks, pool parties, vacations, and relaxation. Sadly, summer is also the time mosquitoes are the most active.
You may be wondering what attracts mosquitoes to bite you. You might also be wondering why you seem to have more bites than your friends. While you have many bites on your body, they might only have one or two. If this sounds like you, here is some information on mosquitoes and why they bite you.
Why Are Mosquitoes Attracted to Me?
Mosquitoes are very good at finding their food — which, in a lot of cases, is humans. According to researchers, they base their meal search on several factors.
Exercising Outdoors
Mosquitoes find you in the first place based on the trail of carbon dioxide you exhale. They are more likely to bite someone who is running at dawn or dusk than someone who is relaxing by the pool. The more you are exercising outdoors, the more carbon dioxide you are exhaling.
Another reason you may be asking, “why do mosquitoes bite me so much,” has to do with your blood. If you are exercising outdoors, your blood is close to the surface of your skin. The areas of the body where the blood is close to the surface attract mosquitoes. When you exercise outdoors, your body will send more blood close to the surface to cool you down.
Blood Type
Speaking of blood, it turns out that mosquitoes have a type they prefer. Blood type, that is. Researchers have found that one of the reasons mosquitoes bite people is because of their blood types. Mosquitoes bite people with Type O blood more frequently than people of a different blood type. They bite people with Type A blood the least. Why do mosquitoes like Type O blood? Some scientists think it is because people may excrete different smells according to their blood types. And, for some reason, they seem to like Type O blood better.
Light Sources
Are mosquitoes attracted to light? Yes … and no. Some sources of light attract mosquitoes. Some colors of light also attract them. If you are thinking that putting UV lights out is going to stop them, you may be attracting them instead. Many people use yellow or red lights in their backyards during the summer. Those colors do not seem to be as attractive to mosquitoes as other colors.
Other Things That Might Attract Mosquitoes to You
Clothing
If you are looking to leave the mosquitoes somewhere else, avoid dark clothing. This sounds like a no-brainer during the summer. Dark clothing attracts more heat from the sun, and no one wants that during the summer. We are all trying to keep cool. As it turns out, dark clothing also attracts these nasty bugs. They like dark clothing because it stands out against the sunny horizon and makes you easier to spot.
What You Drink
If you enjoy a cold one during those long, hot, summer months, you might be attracting mosquitoes. Scientists found that people who drink alcohol might be encouraging a bite. Although they are not sure why mosquitoes like beer drinkers, there are a couple of theories. One is that drinking alcohol dilates your blood vessels, which brings more blood closer to the surface. Another theory is that your body chemistry changes when you drink, and that might attract them.
We hope you have gained valuable knowledge from reading our blog article “What Are Mosquitoes Attracted To? We hope it alleviates some of the issues you personally face with these bugs being attracted to you and why.
If you want a summer that is as mosquito-free as possible, we can also help. Contact NJ Pest Control, in Randolph, N.J., in Morris County. Let us help you enjoy a mosquito-free summer.
