Order by 11:00am central time for same-day shipping!

5 Reasons Why Some Are More Prone To Mosquito Bites Than Others

Why are some people more prone to mosquito bites than others? It turns out there are reasons (backed by science) and knowing what they are could prevent future bites.

mosquito
My husband always jokes that mosquitos like him because he’s so sweet (thereby implying that I am mean because I almost never get bit). It’s a joke, but there’s definitely something to it. We can go outside and I’m completely fine while he’s covered in bites.

This begs the questions, why are some people more prone to mosquito bites than others? It turns out there are reasons why and knowing what they are could prevent future bites. In this time of the Zika virus and other serious mosquito-borne illnesses, it pays to understand a little about what make someone a mosquito magnet.

5 Reasons Why Some Are More Prone To Mosquito Bites Than Others

Clothing

Mosquitos are visual insects and they are drawn toward the color red, along with darker colors like black, navy, and brown. It may be to your advantage to wear light colors, especially during dusk and other times when mosquitoes are more active.

Blood Type

Research shows that people with Type O blood attract more than twice as many mosquitos as those with Type A blood (Type B blood attracted a med-range of these two).  I’m type A- and my husband is O, so this definitely explains some of his popularity with mosquitos.

Beer

In one study researchers found that significantly more mosquitoes landed on people who had recently imbibed a beer than on those who did not. Maybe choose a glass of wine or refrain altogether at that next BBQ if your goal is to avoid mosquitos.

Warm Bodies

Mosquitos are attracted to warm bodies. They are drawn to the heat and also the scent of sweat, so if you tend to run hot, beware.

Pregnancy

Mosquitos love pregnant women. Researchers believe this is largely due to the fact that pregnant women secrete more carbon dioxide that non-pregnant people and the mosquitos use CO2 as a way to determine the location of their hosts. Pregnant women also tend to have higher temperatures, which goes along with the warm body point above. This is particularly alarming since the recent Zika virus outbreak. Pregnant women are encouraged to wear long sleeves, bug repellent, and to avoid being outdoors in areas where mosquitoes congregate.

So my husband may be sweet, but it’s more a matter of these particulars that make people mosquito magnets. Stay safe and exercise caution at that late summer BBQ. It’s not just annoying—mosquitos could seriously affect your health

This article was originally published at Ready Nutrition™ on August 22nd, 2016