It always seems like mosquitoes go after some people and leave others alone. Before you get upset thinking that you’re just no tone of the tasty ones, learn a little about why mosquitoes choose the victims they do. It turns out it has a lot to do with the way bugs that bite smell their victims.
No, its not because you smell bad, but it does have to do with the way your skin appears to the creepy crawlies. A small study on African males found that the skin bacteria of people mosquitoes seemed to find tasty, was different than that of the people the mosquitoes were less attracted to. Another small study was able to isolate a certain gene that was consistent amongst folks considered yummier by the mosquitoes.
In addition, the factors that make an individual’s skin profile, such as humidity and temperature, can all contribute to whether that skin is attractive to the bugs. Its clear that there’s still more room for research to be done to isolate exactly why a mosquito will choose one person over another. An area that could potentially unearth some answers in the future, is taking a look at the influence of people’s diets on their skin profiles. Who knows, maybe we can avoid the bugs by changing what we eat.