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Not my story, but trying to help out another blogger that had a post that I thought was interesting.
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On a couple of our camping trips this summer we were besieged by mosquitoes. I don’t think there was anyone who came away completely unmolested but some of us definitely seemed to be tastier that others, with a trip to hot humid bug haven Florida coming up I thought I’d look into what is it about me that makes me so appetizing and see if there is anything I can do to make myself less appealing.
I came up with some facts that really surprised me so I thought I’d share my findings
1. Breathing.
Mosquitoes detect carbon dioxide in the air, & can smell their dinner from an astonishing distance of 50 meters, once they get a whiff they fly in a zigzag pattern through the CO2 plume until they zero in the source. Cut down on exercise later in the day when mosquitoes are most active.
2. Movement
Mosquitoes first locate potential victims using their sight, the more you run around, the more mozzy attention you attract, they see you as a waiter waving them to a free table at your skin smorgasbord
3. Heat Skeeters are heat-seeking missiles. They can’t sense your body heat from a great distance, once they get within a few yards, your warmth will welcome them with open (bare) arms.
4. Body Odor the more you move the more you sweat and now you have added the sweet sweaty smell of lactic acid on your skin, a succulent sauce inviting your mozzy neighbors over for chow.
5. Lotion If you do decide to shower off, be careful you aren’t following your ablutions with lotion, containing “alpha hydroxy,” as this will return a hearty helping of luscious lactic acid right back on to your skin!.
6. Color of Clothing. Mozzys like dark colors, especially blue. They spot hosts by comparing your silhouette to the horizon. Dark colors stand out, while light shades blend in, Now this really irks me, we always dress in dark clothing when camping, I really don’t want to see just how dusty and filthy we are!
7. Socks.
A tent reeking of stinky feet may be repellant to yours truly but Mosquitoes love smelly feet. In an experiment Entomologist Daniel L. Kline actually used 3-day-old dirty socks as a mosquito lure socks, the bacteria that grow on human feet proved irresistible to them.
8 Perfume.
Discerning skeeters are especially attracted to floral scents
Please continue reading at the link below to find out more things mosquitoes love and what you can do about that love.
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