2023-05-15 11:51:00
There is more of 2,500 varieties of mosquitoes distributed in all parts of the world, with the exception of Antarctica. Its presence is notable not only for its omnipresence, but also for its potential mortality. This insect, in fact, is considered the deadliest living being there is, being responsible for the death of more than 725,000 people annually.
However, it is only the females that bite, as they need blood for their eggs to grow and mature.
WHO DO MOSQUITOES BITE?
Although female mosquitoes bite everyone, it is true that there are some small preferences. Beyond myths and legends, basically it all comes down to the kind of chemicals our skin exudes.
Malaria mosquitoes spread
Thus, mosquitoes are more attracted to those with higher levels of lactic acid in their skin. This is because lactic acid helps them identify people with type O blood, which provides them with better nutrition compared to types A or B. Therefore, those with type O blood tend to be targeted by mosquitoes twice as often as individuals with other blood types.
85% of the probability of being bitten by a mosquito is largely due to this factor: the type of blood determined by the natural chemicals we release. Although the other factors are almost insignificant, it is useful to know them if it helps us avoid the next bite.
BODY ODOR
When we neglect our personal hygiene, the bacterial levels on our skin skyrocket. This can generate disapproving glances in public spaces, but in turn makes us less attractive to mosquitoes. Also, these insects are attracted to deodorants, perfumes, soaps, and other fragrances.
Mosquito time
However, avoiding the shower is not an infallible solution to repel these insects. If our feet give off an unpleasant odor, this is like a magnet for mosquitoes, since a bacterium similar to the one that ripens certain cheeses and produces their rind develops on dirty feet. Also, if we sweat, we release substances such as lactic acidwhich as we mentioned earlier, attracts mosquitoes.
Finally, another factor that makes us irresistible to mosquitoes is the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) we emit. Female mosquitoes can detect it from more than 60 meters away. So the more CO2 we exhale, the more attractive we become.
And how do we increase the emission of this gas? Mainly when we make physical efforts, when panting, talking too much, shouting and, above all, when exercising. The latter attracts mosquitoes not only because we emit more CO2 due to the frequency of respiration and the volume of air exhaled, but also because our body temperature rises, providing a clear thermal indicator. And to top it off, we sweat! For these reasons, pregnant women suffer twice as many bites as the average person: on average, they breathe 20% more CO2 and their body temperature is slightly higher.
VIVID COLORS
In spite of everything, it is not enough to camouflage yourself so that mosquitoes do not smell us, because they also hunt using vision. In this sense, mosquitoes tend to be more attracted to brightly colored clothing. In this way, according A study from the University of Florida, These are your favorite colors: black (the most attractive), red (very attractive), gray and blue (neutral), green and yellow (least attractive).
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