Why Are Some People Mosquito Magnets? (phys.org)
- Reference: 0183202807
- News link: https://science.slashdot.org/story/26/05/13/0029222/why-are-some-people-mosquito-magnets
- Source link: https://phys.org/news/2026-05-people-mosquito-magnets-clues-emerging.html
> Ever felt like mosquitoes bite you while ignoring everyone else? Scientists are now making progress in [2]deciphering the complex chemical cocktail that makes particular people more enticing to these disease-spreading bloodsuckers . "It's not a misconception -- mosquitoes are attracted to some people more than others," Frederic Simard of France's Institute of Research for Development told AFP. "But we are not all magnets all the time," the medical entomologist added.
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> A range of sensory cues can cause mosquitoes to pick one human over another -- mainly the smell and heat our bodies give off, and the carbon dioxide we exhale. Female mosquitoes -- which are the only ones that bite -- detect these signals with finely tuned receptors, then choose their target accordingly. "We have known for over 100 years that mosquitoes are attracted by the carbon dioxide that we exhale -- this is the first signal that triggers their behavior" when they are dozens of meters away, Swedish scientist Rickard Ignell told AFP. Within around 10 meters, "mosquitoes will start detecting our odor, and in combination with carbon dioxide," this attracts them even more, said the senior author of a recent study on the subject. As they get closer, body temperature and humidity make particular humans even more enticing.
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> [...] For Ignell's recent study, the researchers released Aedes aegypti mosquitoes -- known for spreading yellow fever and dengue -- on 42 women in a lab, to see which ones they preferred. "We have shown that mosquitoes use a blend of odorous compounds (we identified 27 that the mosquitoes will detect, out of the possible 1,000) for their attraction to us," Ignell said. The woman the mosquitoes most liked to bite -- which included pregnant women in their second trimester -- produced a large amount of a particular compound made by a breakdown of the skin oil sebum. That even a small increase of this compound -- called "1-octen-3-ol", or mushroom alcohol -- made a difference came as a surprise, Ignell emphasized.
[1] https://slashdot.org/~fjo3
[2] https://phys.org/news/2026-05-people-mosquito-magnets-clues-emerging.html
I'm a bloke... (Score:2)
... and the damn things head straight for me completely bypassing my wife so there's probably not as much female bias this gives the impression of. IMO, YMMV.
Because we're delicious. (Score:2)
See subject -- that's all you gotta know!
Sugar consumption / Ketogenic metabolism (Score:2)
I'm pretty sure wether you're in ketasis (body produces it's on bloodsugar) or overbooked on sugar (which many often are) is a key factor in wether you're a prime target for mosqitoes. That would also totally make sense for them from a nutrition standpoint. If you're a mosqito magnet, try losing some wait and go into ketasis, perhaps with interval fasting. At least when they're out and about. That's likely do reduce or solve the problem.
*weight (Score:2)
Whoops. That's a bottom-rung typo if I ever saw one.
Re: (Score:2)
I also met one person who was never bitten. When the mosquitoes were about 40cm from her, they stopped and turned around. Something was sufficiently strong for them to ignore carbon dioxide, sweat and body heat signals.
Small blessings (Score:2)
I have the good fortune to be a mosquito repellent, for whatever reason. Not that I don't get bit, but everyone else seems to get a lot more attention.
When I lived in Nigeria ... (Score:2)
I noticed that it was white men who drank beer that attracted the most mosquitos.
Obviously there were not many - and it might have been rarity value.
Or perhaps no one had told them about mosquito coils.
Brah (Score:2)
I swear that flying things have a radar set to seek and bite me, so I have to live with 1 acre bug-zappers indoors near all doors creating ozone because of this bullshit. And I have 2 acre zappers at each of the front and back of the house to try to kill every biting thing for 800 m (line-of-sight) in all directions. The first summer of operation, there was a charred insect detritus pile under it many cm deep in just a week. The birds aren't numerous enough yet to do their job.
Also, we should find all the
Re: (Score:2)
Do you happen to be pregnant a lot?
Re: (Score:2)
No, but I fucked your wife and she's pregnant now. Maybe that's it.
Re: (Score:2)
Damn! Good job!