Mosquitoes More Likely to Bite People with These Factors
It never fails. I was only outside for a total of ten minutes this weekend and when I got home Saturday night, I saw a giant mosquito bite on my leg. I didn't feel the bite when it happened, it's frustrating. And then I learned there's at least one reason I keep getting bit.
According to a study from the U.S. National Library of Medicine, people with Type O blood are much more likely to attract the blood thirsty summer pests. My type is O positive. The blood type that is bitten the least? AB
I am doomed. However, here are some other factors that attract mosquitoes:
-Heat and humidity, yes if you sweat a lot, work out a lot, the build up of lactic acid and heat in your body will make you more vulnerable to a bite.
-Carbon dioxide output, a mosquito can sense CO2 up to 160 feet away, and since we breathe in and out through our noses and our mouths, the pests will be drawn more to you head, thus the sometimes buzzing in your ears.
-The color of the clothes you wear, I didn't know mosquitoes use their vision to track victims down, thus if you are wearing darker shades like red or navy, you may be in for a bite.
-Pregnant women attract mosquitoes more due to the carbon dioxide and body heat factors.
-Bacteria on the skin, and yes, this is another unavoidable factor, but mosquitoes are attracted to certain types of bacteria, and did you know your ankles and feet are an especially ripe source of bacteria? This explains a lot.
-And, another factor where I am doomed, mosquitoes are more likely to land on those who drink BEER. Why? Drinking beer increases your body temperature plus it increases the ethanol content in your sweat.
Oh science, you devil.