It\u2019s not<\/b> a myth that mosquitoes bite<\/span><\/a> some people more than others and scientists have identified a number of factors that could play a role in this:<\/li>\n

Factor 1: <\/b>Carbon Dioxide and, therefore, body size.<\/li>\n

Only female mosquitoes bite (males rely on the nectar of flowers); they do so because they need proteins and other compounds (present in our blood) to {tooltip}produce and develop their eggs.{end-text}After they have consumed enough blood, the mosquito will rest for a couple of days before laying her eggs. Once this is complete, she is ready to bite again. Female mosquitoes can lay a set of up to 100 eggs about every third night after mating only once. They typically lay as many as three sets before dying. Source: MegaCatch and WesternExterminator.{end-tooltip}<\/li>\n

When they need blood, they go looking for their targets and one of the key ways of doing that is by smelling the carbon dioxide<\/a>.<\/li>\n

And since large people exhale more CO_{2<\/sub><\/span><\/a>, they are more likely to attract mosquitoes.<\/li>\n}

Factor 2: <\/b>Body temperature.<\/li>\n

<\/b>Mosquitoes have been found to get attracted to people with higher body temperatures.<\/li>\n

<\/b>Exercise, therefore, makes you prone as it increases your body temperature; also, when you exercise, your body uses more oxygen and produces more CO_{2<\/sub><\/span>.<\/li>\n}

<\/b>Factor 1 and 2 also explain why pregnant women (they exhale 21% more CO_{2<\/sub><\/span>, and have higher body temperatures) are highly targeted by mosquitoes.<\/li>\n}

Factor 3: <\/b>Blood group.<\/li>\n

<\/b>Studies<\/span><\/a> show that mosquitoes prefer to feed on blood type<\/span><\/a> O more than any other blood type; the difference is significant when compared to blood type A.<\/li>\n

Factor 4: <\/b>Body odour.<\/li>\n

<\/b>Some compounds or bacteria on the skin produce smells that make it easier for mosquitoes to locate us.<\/li>\n

<\/b>E.g., lactic acid, which builds up in the body when we exercise, or uric acid, which some people are genetically more predisposed to produce.<\/li>\n

<\/b>Drinking beer (because of the way it affects the body odour or the increase in temperature it causes) has also been found responsible for attracting mosquitoes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n \r\n
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