You are probably familiar with the pain and discomfort accompanied by an itchy red bump on your exposed body parts especially during the summer. In most cases, these are caused by mosquito bites and can prove to be a real nuisance.
It also seems like some people are prone to mosquito bites more than others. This puts them at a greater risk of contracting diseases like malaria, dengue, West Nile fever, and yellow fever.
This blog uncovers the science behind mosquito attraction to help you reduce these risks. Here you will learn why mosquitos bite and what strategies you can use to prevent these pests from affecting your health and overall quality of life.
Here are some basic points that we will be looking at in this article
- Mosquito Attraction: The Science Behind It
- Why Mosquitoes Bite?
- Blood Type Preference
- Carbon Dioxide Emission
- Body Odors
- Heat and Water Vapors
- Learning
- Alcohol
- Pregnancy
- Effective Ways to Repel Mosquitoes
- Additional Tips to Prevent Mosquito Bites
Mosquito Attraction: The Science Behind It
Following are the main scientific phenomena behind human-mosquito attractiveness
1. Mosquitoes’ Sense of Smell:
Mosquitoes possess multiple olfactory organs or noses. Their antennae, maxillary palps, and proboscis are rich in olfactory receptors that carry signals back to more than 80 types of olfactory sensory neurons.
Mosquitoes can track down potential hosts by sensing a combination of odors known as Kairomones. These pests use three types of olfactory receptors i.e., odorant, ionotropic, and gustatory receptors to detect kairomones.
The human scent is made up of a combination of substances like CO2, ammonia, esters, alcohols, lactic acid, and ketones which creates a very attractive kairomone combination for the mosquitoes.
By sensing these smells from a distance of about 30 feet, mosquitoes are able to locate their targets and bite.
2. Genetic Factors:
The mosquito attraction also depends on the composition and type of body odor. The human scent is dependent on factors like skin pH, body mass, metabolic rate, and the rate of respiration.
It has also been observed that the risk of mosquito-borne infections is also higher in some alleles or gene variants. An example is the West Nile Virus which is most likely to affect people with the rs333 gene variant.
Similarly, other viruses like dengue and encephalitis risks are higher in certain gene variants. This goes to show the risks of mosquito bites and the consequent infections are dependent on the genetic makeup of a person as well.
3. Environmental Factors:
Environmental factors like the distance from the host, cleanliness, and the presence of certain chemicals in perfumes and deodorants may also impact human-mosquito attractiveness.
Why Mosquitoes Bite?
Following are a few reasons why mosquitoes tend to bite
1. Blood Type Preference:
Mosquitoes prefer certain blood types like Type O and Type AB. Around 80% of the people generate a secretion that mosquitoes can use to sense the blood type of that person. This puts them more at risk of mosquito bites.
2. Carbon Dioxide Emission:
Mosquitoes have the ability to sense CO2 emitted by humans from a distance of about 5 to 15 meters. The amount of this gas you exhale also determines how much at risk you are. As you exhale more of this gas from your mouth or nose, this attracts more mosquitoes to your head.
3. Body Odors:
Certain components in your sweat and skin give out odors that can draw mosquitoes in. Odors emitted by compounds like ammonia and lactic acid in your body can make you susceptible to mosquito bites.
4. Heat and Water Vapors:
Our bodies generate heat and water vapors the amount of which depends on the temperature around us. If a nearby source emits heat at a certain desirable temperature, mosquitoes are immediately drawn to it.
5. Learning:
Mosquitoes can learn to prefer certain hosts by identifying cues like scents that have given them quality blood supply before. The rate of mosquito-borne diseases is higher in hosts that mosquitoes have bitten before and found to be quite useful sources of quality blood.
6. Alcohol:
There is also some evidence suggesting that people who have consumed alcohol or beer recently are more likely to get bitten by mosquitos. The consumption of alcohol is thus an important factor in mosquito-human attraction.
7. Pregnancy:
As pregnancy leads to greater emission of carbon dioxide as well as high average temperature, this makes such individuals more prone to mosquito bites.
Effective Ways to Repel Mosquitoes
Following are a few ways you can ensure proper mosquito control:
1. Eliminate Mosquito Habitats:
The first thing you need to do is eliminate mosquito habitats. You need to remove items that can collect water and provide a place for mosquitoes to lay eggs.
You also need to change the water in fountains, bird baths, and pools at least once a week. Finally, you need to keep your gutters clean to ensure better water flow.
2. Plant Mosquito Repellent Vegetation:
The next thing you need to do is to keep your yard clean and clipped short. After that, you can add some mosquito-repellent vegetation to keep these creatures at bay.
You can grow lavender, Marigold, Mint, Sage, Basil, Citronella Grass, or allium plants in your garden or yard to make sure mosquitoes are effectively repelled.
3. Use Quality Mosquito Repellents:
And finally, you can use some quality mosquito repellents that contain compounds like DEET, Picaridin, and IR3535 to prevent mosquito bites.
If chemical-based repellents are not to your liking, you can also use natural mosquito repellents. You can use essential oils extracted from Rose Geranium, Thyme, Clove, Cedar, Neem, peppermint, and Patchouli plants to repel mosquitos.
Additional Tips to Prevent Mosquito Bites
Following are a few more tips that you can use to prevent common diseases spread by mosquitoes:
- Wear long sleeves and avoid shorts in areas where mosquitos are present in larger amounts.
- Choose light-colored clothing and avoid wearing black and dark hues.
- Mosquitos tend to be more active at dusk and dawn. Make sure to stay inside and keep yourself covered during these times.
- Avoid keeping your doors and windows opened unnecessarily during peak mosquito times.
Conclusion
Mosquitoes are attracted more to things like certain blood types, body odors, and your body temperature. A combination of such factors can make you more prone to mosquito bites.
By looking at your surroundings to identify cues that can invite mosquitoes, you can take the necessary steps to prevent them from affecting your health.
By keeping your surroundings clean and sealed and by using quality mosquito repellents you can not only prevent bites but also eliminate mosquito habitats which leads to a safer and mosquito-free environment for you and your loved ones.
Visit Lulu Pest Control to get top quality mosquito control and prevention treatments and services all over Dubai and UAE.