What has been popularly known for decades has also been scientifically confirmed:Mosquitoes attractsome people in front and leave others alone. Why is this and what attracts mosquitoes? Scientists have the answer.
What Attracts Mosquitoes: This is the reason why mosquitoes bite some people more often than others
No, it's not due to our eating habits, nor our blood type and it has nothing to do with sweating: Researchers have uncovered all the myths surrounding insects.
The skin microbiome is to blame for the fact that you are bitten more often by mosquitoes. Similar to the intestines, our skin is also colonized by fungi and bacteria. More than 1 million bacteria live in our pores and hair roots. They emit a specific smell that humans cannot detect, but which the mosquitoes use as orientation.
Our microbiome is not passed on to other people through skin contact. Every person has a unique microbiome made up of different types of bacteria.
Our microbiome can change over time because it depends primarily on what we drink and where we live. Everything we drink, the soap and detergent we use can change it. There is also scientific evidence that our genes have an influence on composition.
The sweat itself has no smell and cannot attract mosquitoes. But for some people, the microbiome may change when they sweat. The bacteria that cause an odor when you sweat can attract mosquitoes.
However, researchers wonder why some people's smell attracts more mosquitoes than others'. If we knew this, we might be able to neutralize the scent signals from these bacteria so that we don't attract mosquitoes as much.
What you can do against mosquitoes? Mosquitoes like certain scents and not others. Apply scented oils such as lavender, thyme, and mint to the skin. They will keep the insects away. To do this, use fragrance-free deodorant sprays.
