You are enjoying a nice glass of chardonnay with your bestie in the back yard when suddenly mosquitoes take aim as if you are a dart board at an insect bar giving away free Bloody Marys.
But your friend remains untouched. It’s as if she has been sweating bug repellent but still smells of that perfume you can’t stand.
“They like you because you are so sweet,” she jests, as you start scratching at the multiple bites on your arms and legs.
In fact, there is a reason why mosquitoes tend to bite some people and leave others alone, according to the website FeedsGuru.com:
You Smell: Yep, the smellier a person is, the more attractive they are to a mosquito. When a body sweats it produces lactic acid, which is quite tasty to the mosquito. The older the sweat, the sweeter the meal. So you know, take a bath.
Blood Type: Turns out that people with Type O blood are twice as likely to suffer bites as people with Type A blood, according to one study. Also, 85 percent of us secrete a chemical signal that indicates blood type, increasing the chances to get bit since mosquitoes tend to like to know what they are getting.
Bacteria: FeedsGuru reports that the type of bacteria living on our skin varies from person to person. Studies show that people with staphylococcus and variovorax present on their skin will likely suffer more mosquito bites. While other bacteria, such as delftia, tend to keep the pests away.
Carbon Dioxide: Mosquitoes are drawn to the CO2 you exhale, as well. Produce more, get more bug bites. So people who struggle to breathe get bit more. Beer drinkers, for instance, tend to breathe heavier and thus are more prone to bites.
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