Why is it that biting insects are drawn to some people and not to others? Is there a way to change your body chemistry to make you less palatable to mosquitos, chiggers and other pests that love to suck your blood?
My husband is one of those lucky people to whom bugs never seem to bother. He could walk through, sweaty, an infested swap and not get a single bite. I can walk from the parking lot to the entrance of Target, surrounded by and and concrete and arrive at the door with several bites in the summer. Coincidentally, I am also one of those people who have allergic reactions to some types of bites that include a huge amount of swelling, some pain and even some fever.
Experts say that female mosquitos, the ones that do the biting, are very selective as to whose blood they like. About one in ten of us are highly attractive to the buggers.
There have been numerous studies as to why mosquitos bit some people more than others, but for me the mystery still isn’t solved. For example, some studies show that people who eat a lot of red meat get bitten more than people who don’t. I am a modified vegetarian who eats no red meat at all. My husband would just out of a plane for a steak.
There is also a study that larger people are more attractive to mosquitos than are smaller people. I am 5’5″ and a size 4. My husband is larger than me. My daughter is teeny tiny and gets bit quite a bit as well. Genetics, you know.
Another study suggests that people who are efficient at processing cholesterol may be more yummy, because there skins contain the more by products of this processing. So, fewer heart attacks, but more bites, perhaps?
Mosquitos can smell their victims up to 50 feet away. There is no hiding for the yummy.
So for now, I stay indoors a lot. Chemical repellants don’t seem to do a lot for me, and my breath would have to smell of citronella before they would leave me alone. Creating a breeze with fans is supposed to work, but it doesn’t.
I am forever destined to be a feast.
Related Articles:
Smart Sun Exposure and Vitamin D