Yes, everyone was bitten by a mosquito at some point or another. There was rarely a summer vacation near a riverbank without annoying, red, itchy bumps caused by mosquito bites in the evenings. For some reason, I was always the one to be anxious when the subtle humming sound announced a new swarm and my heavily scratched legs as a result.
Why do mosquitoes bite me and not my husband? Every time I heard their whir, I would rush to get back to the car before the sunset and the bites I dreaded so much. But not my husband. He gets a mosquito bite once in a blue moon – and that’s just one! In a quest to find answers, here is what I have learned.
Mosquito Life Cycle
To find out why mosquitoes bite me and not my husband, I have learned a fair bit about these grueling flies. Mosquitos are species of small flies. The etymology of the word mosquito is interesting. The name comes from the Spanish Mosca, meaning fly, and the suffix for diminutives – ito. The mosquito has a year-long life cycle which consists of the following stages:
- egg
- larvae
- pupa
- adult mosquito
The adult female mosquito has a tube-like mouth named in Latin proboscis which helps them pierce the host’s skin and feed on its favorite staple – blood.
Blood is a valuable nutrient source for many species, containing protein, sugars, and minerals, including iron.
Why do Mosquitoes Bite Me and not My Husband?
In my research to find out why did mosquitos always so attracted to me, here is what I have found:
Carbon dioxide
Mosquitoes have a host-seeking system based on the amount of carbon dioxide in their environment. As all mammals breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide, it signals mosquitos where to look for prey.
For this reason, each individual walking and talking sends an invitation to the flock simply by breathing.
Natural skin odor
Apart from the carbon dioxide, another signal for the mosquitos are compounds found on human skin and in human sweat. Some of the compounds that serve this purpose are lactic acid and ammonia.
There is a genetic factor when it comes to body odor. So if your parents were mosquito magnets, most likely you will be too. Another factor determining body odor is skin bacteria – people with a high diversity of bacteria are less attractive to mosquitos.
Colors
Mosquitos are more attracted to black and other dark colors. I still don’t know why, but either way, stay away from dark-colored clothes, especially black ones. If you want to avoid mosquitos, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants or skirts so the fabric covers most of the body surface.
Ensure the colors are light so you don’t make an invitation out of your outfit. As mosquitos prefer skin around the head and feet, it is recommended to wear long socks and closed shoes as well as hats, scarves, or some other type of head coverings.
The head is attractive to mosquitos as it has a higher body temperature than some other parts of the body and many sweat and sebaceous glands. The head, particularly hair, has a stronger odor than the rest of the body, making your face the perfect place to feast.
Heat
Using heat as a cue for the orientation of insects towards hot-blooded hosts is nothing new. However, how mosquitos evaluate thermal sources is still unknown. Studies have shown that mosquitoes can distinguish heat sources and positively respond to a host emitting heat.
Interestingly, only females can do that. Every human body generates heat as a part of thermal regulation, and when the heat is produced, it reacts with the air and sweat and creates a vapor which is another cue for the mosquitos to stand in line. The more heat the host produces, the more visible they are to mosquitoes.
For this reason, some people are more attractive than others. Also, you will notice that the body gets warmer during night-intensity physical exercises, and mosquitos attack. Running or playing tennis outdoors might not be the best idea in this case. If you still want to get some fresh air and get physically active at the same time, go for the slow-paced activities that don’t have that effect on you.
Alcohol
Although it is said that people who enjoy a drink or two suffer more mosquito bites after ingesting their favorite drinks, little is known about why and how. Even though the ethanol content in sweat after drinking alcoholic beverages was not affected, mosquito landings on the skin significantly increases after drinking.
Studies have shown that mosquitos are more attracted to people who have previously been drinking alcohol. I promise that was not my case!
Even though cold beer might be a favorite treat for many, if you are prone to mosquito bites, avoid drinking this cold beverage before exposure to the mosquitos.
Pregnancy
Studies show pregnant women are twice as attractive to mosquitoes as non-pregnant women. Why? Most likely, it has to do with behavioral changes. Even though the study is small, it can give one of the answers to why women are more prone to mosquito bites.
Conclusion
The ancient fable of the mosquito and the bull paints a perfect picture of how annoying these insects can be for me. There are many factors why some people are more prone to mosquito bites than others.
Some reasons are immutable, like genetics and physiology, but others have to do with lifestyle, like the beverages you drink and the colors you wear. If you were to ask me why do mosquitoes bite me and not my husband – I could not give you a straight answer.
But I can tell you precisely what I will not be doing this summer – playing tennis in my favorite black skort after a few glasses of wine with friends near the river bank.