Why do some people attract mosquitoes, while some people won’t even be touched by mosquitoes?

Netizens asked:

Hello. When summer comes, I feel terrible because mosquitoes are swarming around me all the time!

I heard that mosquitoes like to bite people with type O blood the most, but I am type A! Is there something wrong with this statement?

I found that mosquitoes basically don't bite my girlfriend, they always target me! (I don't mean to ask mosquitoes to bite my girlfriend, I'm just curious). Dr. Ke, what kind of people do mosquitoes like?

Don't be anxious, calm down first. Only when you calm down and look at the answer, you will gain something.

In fact, the idea that mosquitoes prefer type O blood originated from an experiment in the 1970s:

The experimenters found 102 people with different blood types and asked them to put their bare arms into a box full of mosquitoes. After 10 minutes, when the mosquitoes were full and satisfied, the experimenters slapped them to death and then tested the blood in their stomachs.

The results of the experiment showed that type O blood was the most abundant. This experiment was published in the famous journal Nature that year. As a result, the saying that mosquitoes prefer type O blood spread.

But is this really the case?

Actually, not necessarily.

Because later, scientists from all walks of life conducted experiments, and some found that AB blood type is more attractive to mosquitoes, while others said that it has nothing to do with blood type, and that any blood type is the same. In short, there are many different opinions, and there is no definite conclusion.

In fact, compared with blood type, the following four types of people are the "favorites" of mosquitoes:

1. People who breathe heavily

Mosquitoes can search thousands of miles away, and the main clue they search for is the carbon dioxide we exhale. The more carbon dioxide we emit, the easier it is for mosquitoes to identify us.

Therefore, people with larger bodies (including fat people), people with heavier breathers, pregnant women, etc. tend to attract more mosquitoes.

2. People with strong body odor

After sweating, a lot of lactic acid accumulates on the skin, which continuously emits a sour and smelly smell on the warm and moist skin surface.

The smell of lactic acid and sweat is irresistible to mosquitoes.

Therefore, people with well-developed sweat glands and larger pores are more likely to attract mosquitoes. In this sense, sometimes men are more likely to attract mosquitoes than women, and young people are more likely to attract mosquitoes than the elderly.

3. Pregnant women

Pregnant women not only exhale more carbon dioxide, but also have a higher abdominal temperature and more volatile substances on their skin surface, making them more "favored" by mosquitoes. Similarly, children are also more susceptible to mosquito bites.

4. People wearing dark clothes

When you wear dark clothes during the day, the light reflected on the clothes is dimmer, which just fits the habit of mosquitoes to be afraid of light and move towards darkness.

Therefore, it is recommended to wear less dark clothes in summer, and it is best to wear white or light colors, especially at night.