Summer is a fun time of year. Longer days, warmer nights, outdoor concerts, picnics, amusement parks, camping, and mosquitoes are all part of the fun summer experience. Okay, maybe mosquitoes aren’t so fun. In fact, survey results reported by Lawrence Journal World showed that people think mosquitoes are the most annoying bug – more annoying than chiggers, ticks, flies, ants, bees, wasps, and spiders.
So, Why Do Mosquitoes Bite Some and Not Others?
Do you seem to get more mosquito bites than your friends? According to the Smithsonian, approximately 20 percent of the population is actually more attractive to mosquitoes. Several factors can make you more attractive to mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes use their maxillary palp to detect the carbon dioxide their prey breathes. They can detect carbon dioxide up to 164 feet away. Thus, people who expel more carbon dioxide – generally larger individuals – attract more mosquitoes. This is why adults generally get more mosquito bites than children.
Another way mosquitoes find their prey is through smelling the uric acid, lactic acid, ammonia, and other substances excreted through sweat. Genetic factors influence how much uric acid and other substances you naturally produce, and this may make you more susceptible to mosquitoes than others.
In addition, certain types of bacteria that naturally exist on human skin influence how attractive you are to mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are also know to be more attracted to pregnant women. A study conducted in Africa found that pregnant women are twice as much attractive to mosquitoes carrying malaria than non-pregnant women; researchers believe it is due to an increase in carbon dioxide.
Also, wearing certain colors, mainly red, dark blue, and black, and drinking alcohol makes you more attractive to these pests. Finally, mosquitoes appear to prefer people who have Type O blood.
How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes Naturally
You can’t control genetics or your blood type. Avoiding alcohol, wearing white, and taking a shower or bath before going outdoors may make you less attractive to these pests. However, there are also other things you can do to make yourself less desirable to these insects that don’t involve taking a bath in smelly bug spray.
TIPHERO
One natural bug repellent smells nicer than bug spray and does a good job of keeping mosquitoes away, according to Tip Hero. To make this repellent, put a few slices of lemon, a few slices of lime, seven to 10 drops of lemon eucalyptus oil, and two sprigs of rosemary into a mason jar. Fill the jar with water, and place a lit floating tea light candle on top. Lemon eucalyptus is the active ingredient in this mosquito repellent and possesses low levels of DEET. According to WebMD, DEET can be dangerous in high concentrations.
Good Housekeeping suggests mixing peppermint, citronella, rose geranium, or lavender essential oil with Aloe Vera gel and olive oil for a safe bug repellent you can use on your skin.
For another natural alternative HealthierTalk says the CDC recommends on their “West Nile Prevention & Control” website to use oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol to repel mosquitoes. Oil of lemon eucalyptus is a safe non-toxic alternative that has been shown to provide protection that’s similar to low concentration of DEET in two studies.
If you tend to attract mosquitoes, you don’t need to take a bath in smelly bug spray to enjoy the outdoors. Instead, try these natural remedies for repelling mosquitoes.
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