Some people seem to get bitten constantly, while others remain untouched.
Research reveals why mosquitoes are drawn to certain individuals - and what we can do to keep them at bay.
You might be a "mosquito magnet"
Scientists have confirmed that some people consistently attract more mosquitoes than others.
In one experiment, mosquitoes landed four times more often on one person’s scent trail than another’s.
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Mosquitoes can smell you from 200 feet away
These tiny hunters are incredibly skilled. From up to 200 feet (about 60 meters) away, they can track the carbon dioxide in your breath.
As they get closer, they detect odors from your feet, armpits, and skin.
Your skin’s oil and bacteria make you irresistible
Carboxylic acids - found in human sweat and created by the oily layer on our skin and its microbes - are especially appealing to mosquitoes.
Some of these acids even smell like rancid butter, which mosquitoes love.
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It’s about chemical combinations
Researchers found 15 common airborne compounds in human scent, but it’s the specific combinations and concentrations that determine how attractive you are.
A higher presence of certain compounds can make you mosquito bait.
Soap can actually make you more attractive
Surprisingly, some soaps increased mosquito landings.
In experiments with brands like Dove and Simple Truth, some participants became more appealing to mosquitoes after washing.
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The same scent can attract or repel
Limonene, a citrusy compound found in many soaps, is known to repel mosquitoes.
But three out of four soaps tested made people more attractive to mosquitoes - even though all contained limonene.
Mosquitoes use more than just smell to find you
These insects combine multiple senses - vision, smell, heat, and sound - to locate humans.
Human scents make them more sensitive to skin-tone colors, while floral scents prime them to spot plants.
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Even without smell, mosquitoes find a way
Genetically modified mosquitoes without a sense of smell became better at detecting heat, one study found.
They increased their temperature-sensitive sensors in their legs, showing how adaptable they are.
Personalized repellents could be the future
By mapping the genes and cells activated in mosquitoes when they sense humans, scientists hope to create customized repellents based on your individual scent and skin microbiome.
What really works
Although personalized solutions are still in development, researchers suggest trying soaps with coconut scent, which more consistently deterred mosquitoes.
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However, when traveling to areas with mosquito-borne diseases, DEET remains the gold standard.
Article based on information from National Geographic.