If you feel like you’re always spending summer swatting away mozzies – while others seem to swan through without a bite – you’re not far off.
The University of Sydney’s Dr Cameron Webb has told The Conversation some mosquitoes do specifically target people including the Aedes aegypti species, which spreads the dengue and yellow fever viruses.
Anopheles mosquitoes – which spread the parasites that cause malaria – also loves to hone in on particular victims.
So why do they prefer certain people?
Cameron explains only female mosquitoes bite because they want the nutrition contained in blood to help develop their eggs.
And while there’s no evidence that they like one blood type over another, when it comes down to finding you in a crowd, it seems it could come down to heavy breathing and skin smell.
Mozzies pick up on carbon dioxide – which is why it’s often used in baits – so if you’re breathing heavily, they’re more likely to latch onto you.
Sweat is also likely to attract mosquitoes, so if you’ve been exercising, you could find yourself a target.
Size can be a factor too, with studies showing pregnant women are more likely to be bitten.
But the major factor according to Dr Webb is smell – and the hundreds of chemicals that are sweated out by our body’s bacteria.
Here you may be able to blame your parents – research has found the skin smell that attracts mozzies is often inherited.
Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do about this – Dr Webb says your best bet is still a topical insect repellent.
Maybe send your parents the bill though.
