Do mosquitoes have preferences when it comes to who they bite? Elizabeth Tracey reports
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Mosquitoes seem to practice discernment when they choose which human they’ll bite. Christopher Potter, a mosquito expert at Johns Hopkins, says smell brings them in, with women who smell enticing being high on the list.
Potter: The sense of smell for insects is pretty good. Our human odor bouquet. Perhaps its because female body temperatures may be slightly higher. Higher body temperatures are attracted to if your body temperature is higher you're also then giving off more odors that they can pick up on. The same for pregnant women. It's thought that body temperature tends to be slightly higher as well. Other things that increase attraction is alcohol consumption unfortunately. Having a beer during your outdoor picnic has its consequences, kind of flushes your skin, makes you slightly warmer. it could also be that you're giving off more odors with your breath that the mosquito might be attracted to. :34
Potter notes that attempts to disguise our smells or other aspects of our humanity often don’t work and may prove even more attractive to mosquitoes. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.
