Why do mosquitoes bite some people more than others?
- asks Allison from Austin
Meredith Knight • September 10, 2007
![Credit: [Oxbow Park Naturalization Project].](https://scienceline.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/mosquito.jpg)
Credit: [Oxbow Park Naturalization Project].
Every summer, they come. They sneak through the windows and ravage your ankles; they find the one spot on your left shoulder that didn’t get drenched in a layer of DEET (God bless you, Deep Woods Off!) and gnaw, chomp, and suck away.
From May to September, many of us – covered in scars and bloody scabs, the remnants of these bites now gone bad – live side-by-side with people who, despite living in the same house and even sleeping in the same bed, are seemingly less vulnerable to the vicious six-legged predators. It turns out, a mosquito’s snacking preference for one person over another is not just a curious annoyance, it’s also a medical concern: Since malaria and other diseases are transmitted by bites, people who get bitten a lot are more likely to become ill. Because of this, researchers are working to find the mechanisms in mosquitoes that cause them to sniff out you, and not your neighbor.
Scientists have identified several proteins found in mosquitoes’ antennae and heads that latch on to chemical markers, or odorants, emitted from our skin. These markers are produced by the natural processes of our bodies and, like neon signs, they let the mosquitoes’ smell center know you’re around (though the process that then guides them to you is not well understood). Flies and mosquitoes share a number of the same genes that dictate production of these odorant-binding proteins, which have specific sites that will catch or bind with certain chemicals in the air. Some scientists suggest that certain characteristics attract mosquitoes, thereby leading us to have more bites than others. Some of the top candidates: the amount of carbon dioxide in the breath, pregnancy, body temperature, alcohol and odorant markers based on blood type.
Blood-type markers are chemicals released by people of a specific blood type – so if someone with AB blood emitted a marker, it would be different than that released by B. One study found persons with Type O blood suffered more mosquito landings because of the odorant markers they emit than any other blood type, making their juices a hot commodity for blood banks, as well as Asian Tiger Mosquitoes, which carry West Nile Virus. Not only were Type O’s more likely to be landed on, but the study found that for any blood type, people who secreted a chemical marker about their blood type through their skin (both blood type and secretor status are determined by genes) were bitten much more than non-secretors; 24 percent in the case of the Type O’s. Other researchers estimate about 15 percent of the population, based on their genes, don’t emit chemical markers of their blood type through their skin and saliva, so something else has to be calling the mosquitoes to them.
Pregnancy seems to be a big winner for mosquito attraction, probably because mothers-to-be exhale 21 percent more carbon dioxide (quite a turn-on to the six-legged species) and are on average 1.26 degrees Fahrenheit warmer around the belly than their non-pregnant counterparts, due to the temperature of amniotic fluid. Also, having just 12 ounces of beer increases your mosquito appeal, possibly because of the increase in body temperature it causes or because skin markers change when metabolizing cocktails – unfortunate since outdoor drinking is a highlight of summer anywhere.
One researcher suggested smell is unimportant, and what really matters to the mosquito currently chomping on your toe is not the smells you’re giving off, rather it’s finishing her meal without being swatted away. Because of this, she’s better off attacking “less defensive” animals, rather than more defensive, and so is evolutionarily predisposed to biting lazy or incapacitated prey (reference drinking above).
Infectious disease experts are anxious to solve the mosquito preference puzzle so they can design repellants tailored to vulnerable people, which would either block an individual’s smell signatures or disarm a mosquito’s scent receptors. Unfortunately, a specific answer to your skin-piercing question continues to itch away at scientists, and I suggest stocking up on bug repellant in the meantime.
409 Comments
i get bitten alive too i hate staying out side after dark . i have put on bug spray and it dosent work i get bite but no see ums too ouch. my dad and i have type o blood and my mom dosenot she dosent get a bite on her its not fair.
Do these findings serve as answers to the ways vampires choose THEIR victims?
I am not really sure what to think of this. My blood type is A+ and I have never met anyone in my life who gets attacked by mosquitoes like I do. If I go outside without repellant on I will get bitten 5 to 10 times in just a few minutes. There was one specific time I was outside for less than 5 minutes and had to run inside because my legs were burning so bad. I had to have a friend put hydrocortisone cream on each bite and we literally counted 30 bites exactly! I am not exaggerating! The only thing I can think of is that I am always really hot. I am naturally hot blooded and like to keep my house like a meat locker. That is really the only thing that I can relate to with this study. Either way I would love to know what I can do other than covering myself with DEET every time I go outside. I really despise mosquitoes and have no idea what their purpose is on this planet other than to drive me insane and to spread disease! If anyone has any ideas please feel free to share.
Btw, I take B vitamins on a regular basis and that doesn’t do a thing for me.
I get bit an insane amount. Unlucky for me, it seems that a mosquito found its way into my bedroom. I woke up this morning with 15 mosquito bites. My partner? Not one. Based on this article, he should definitely be the one being bitten more..not me! For some reason, my normal body temperature is a chilly 96.8 while normal is 98.6 (and I’m fairly sure that my partner’s is higher than that! He’s always so hot!) So why are they making a nose-dive toward my skin, not his? Also, my partner is much more burly than me, with huge nostrils! I have no doubt that he exhales more carbon dioxide than I do. Curiously, he’s also O, while I’m not.
This mosquito attack isn’t just a one-time, random event either. During a normal summer, I’ll maintain an average of 10-15 mosquito bites a week, and rack up an impressive 30-50 bites from one out door adventure (like camping out, going swimming, or going on a picnic)–and that’s with OFF!
I’ve also noticed that, lucky for everyone else, I seem to act as a mosquito repellent for others. As long as I’m around, no one else will be getting mosquito bites–they all go straight for me!!
Oh god, I don’t even want to know what will happen to me when I get pregnant..
My blood type is O+ and used to get bit all the time when I was a young adult, but haven’t been bitten much in the last 10 years or so. I was outside after dark 2 days in a row. The first night, I wasn’t bitten at all, but didn’t drink any alcohol. The second night I had 2 beers and I counted over 50 bites on my ankles and legs, with a few cluster areas of 4-5 welts in close proximity. The welts didn’t appear till about 24 hours later. Three days after the feeding frenzy, they were extremely red and itchy, and drove me crazy! Also, I live in an area of the USA that has been one of the hardest hit by the drought of 2012; somehow they are able to breed and mass produce without much water. So, using my example, I believe blood type and alcohol consumption increased my tastiness to the little beasts. Oral Benedryl and topical Cortizone 10 Plus have helped a little, but I guess time and less scratching will be the ultimate healer.
I strongly believe the mosquitoes are attracted to acidic PH balance. Drinking alcohol makes your body more. So will eating acidic foods and not drinking enough water. People who are overweight also tend to be more acidic in PH. I think its those who have a more alkalized blood that are the ones the mosquitoes dont want.
I don’t believe in the whole blood type theory. I’ve been getting eaten alive by mosquitoes this summer, but only during my menstural cycle shortly after ovulation. I know that body temperature rises only a bit, but this seems to make the difference since I seem to become the main course for these bugs!!!
I find this article complete bogus.
I came to India this summer and I am being eaten alive. I have B+ blood and so does my mother. She doesn’t have a single bite. And the reaction I have to the bites are these big bumps on my skin that I can’t help scratching. I have counted more than 50 bites while my mother has like 4. My dad is a O+ and he only got bit like 5 times during the whole summer. No one seems to get bit except me, even people with the same blood group! It is rediculous!
I am flabbergasted at all of the comments and do not understand why I read like 15 of them, or why so many people commented. One thing is certain though mosquito’s suck. I hope this helps bahahahahah
I HATE MOSQUITOES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I GET LIKE 20 NEW MOSQUITO BITES EVERY NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOW DO I STOP THIS PLEASE HELP I CANT STOP SCRATCHING AND RIPPING MY SKIN OPEN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This was very interesting since ive always wondered y i am always bitten and ive tried everything to keep them off of me and i have o+ also so maybe that is why but im always getting bitten in my household
I get at least 30 bites a day even when wearing repellent. My blood type is O-. My family doesn’t even bother with repellent when I’m around, because all the mosquitoes will leave them alone and come after me. We have the little Asian tiger skeeters. I don’t drink, and am not “less defensive”. I am at WAR with mosquitoes! I get bit, but they DIE!
my wife and some friends react badly to mossy bites and i have always said i never get bitten but the other night i saw a mossy land on my arm and i watched it stick its long thing in me and feed on me .thier was no mark and no swelling after,i think i get bitten all the time and just dont know about it
I am a+ and my body temp. is 96.8 I get ate by a lot of bugs all the time. If I scratch at them, I get bit more often, till I am covered in them. Repellant does not work. I wish someone could help with this.
They have no answer. A+ , repellant works a little, alcohol effects nothing, body temp, nothing,……..No answers
I get bites all the time, I could be outside for just a few minutes and I see them landing on me. my blood type is A/b and I do drink alchol and do smoke. Im not sure if that has anything to do with the biting. I was told that because my skin is dard that bugs love me. not sure why. I don’t love them! every summer until the first frost, when most bugs in the east are killed off, then I’m free of bites. I love the fall and winter, just for that reason. Does the earth really need the insect Mosquitos? What are they good for?
Not liking the bite in Maryland
I am type A+ and always get a LOT of bites, even if I walk outside for just 2 minutes! Worse in early a.m. and mid-late afternoon. I wear NO fragrance, my soap is unscented, as is my deodorant, shampoo, etc. I have found that Cutter helps a good bit. I’m convinced that there is something about me that attracts mosquitoes quickly. I can be standing next to other people and the others rarely get bitten compared to my many bites.
I read once that there was research done on pheromones, and that genetically people produce a natural odorless repelent, but a few actually lack this natural repellent. But on the blood side; there may be a factor most of you are overlooking, is that even though you are A+, or whatever, you may be AO, meaning you are carrying perhaps a recessive O blood type. For example my father and mother were both AO, but show on blood tests A+; and they had three children with A+ and two children with blood type O. So even though I am A+, I still get eaten alive out of a group of 10 people who get only a couple of bites, and it may be because I also carry blood type O.
I always get bitten and I have an allergic reaction so it’s miserable so I came on this website for an answer …. I am more confused than ever … My blood group is O but I am always cold …. I do drink alcohol but am bitten even when I don’t …. This time I took antihistamine a fortnight before my holiday … Yes I still got bitten but have not reacted as badly …. In the past I have spent the night in the shower & the itching has driven me mad … They swell up so much that I look deformed … I thought holidaying in september wouldn’t be so bad … I think it is just the luck if the draw … They either like you or they don’t
I am O- and I am a mosquito magnet. My theory blows everyone else’s away…we who get big the most, are just the sweetest….lol
*bit the most (not big)
When I was young, I often had allergic reactions to mosquito bites and so my father (a physician) sent me to camp with bottles of high dose B vitamins. He claimed the odor they caused on the body or the blood repulsed mosquitoes. When I took the vitamins regularly, I was not bitten. Now, I find that when I eat foods high in B vitamins, (whole grains) I don’t get bitten. Has there ever been any studies done to prove this theory?
After Googling Why do I never get bitten by pet fleas, mosquitos etc…I still find after reading numerous forums, I am really none the wiser…I should be grateful I dont get bitten. But still really & truly would like to know why?
I’m A+ and I get bit ALL THE TIME! I don’t think it has to do with blood type! I think it has to do with the signature scent that everyone gives off but like your fingerprint everyones scent is unique! Each scent is either sweet or bitter and mosquitoes love their sweets! Lol! ;)
I am in deep problem with mosquitoes bites. Every where I am. In the bathroom,toilet,bus,or car,taxi,even at work.imagine I teach,holding. An. Electric mosqitoes killer and a piece of chalk in the other hand.I am humiliated but I can’t do otherwise.please help.
my family and partner, dont get mosquito bites all the time than i do. even my lips, mosquitoes get attracted to it.. funny but seriously, im getting pissed off.. there was this time that my partner could even think twice if ive been really bitten by mosquitoes wherein fact he have not encountered one.. until he saw my skin, almost no space for a bites
The picture on this article is not a mosquito, but rather a non-biting crane fly (Tipulidae)
Sounds pretty cool….. I’m blood type O and seem to get bitten all the time….. I was reading this article hoping to find out why I seem to ALWAYS get bitten when the very mosquito who is annoying me at night for some time lands on my iPod screen!! Whoohoo thanks guys. You gave me the opportunity I needed to kill that stupid mosquito… And I learnt something too!!!!! :D:D
Hey so thanks for this article. I was just suffering from multiple mosquito bites.
My mother said that i had a rare blood type,somewhere like O-, so then I saw like, two mosquitoes on my windowsill DEAD and my mother said that they probably ate themselves sick(is that possible?!)So yeah, now I know why they came after me, not my siblings or my parents, it’s weird we all have different blood type, except for me and my dad’s
I am b+ but i always get bitten by mosquitoes more than my friend who is an o so why does this happen????
that is not a mosquito in your picture. it is a Crane Fly.
I don’t think it’s the lack of resistance thing. I get bitten multiple times every night as I sleep. My partner sleeps beside me and never gets bitten. Neither of us flails about and we both are just as covered as each other. I am a fair bit smaller than he is so it’s not availability either. I don’t know my blood type though!
My family and I do not get bitten by fleas or mosquitos, we are type A positive Blood. I also have arare genetic dease as probably does my family, Primary Immune Deficiency Disease. I have low IGA IGG AND IGG. I get immunoglobulin infusions every 4 weeks. I was looking at COLOSTROM in brest milk of a new mother and discovered the first 3 to 4 days that is what the baby is getting to keep him immune to diseases, Can anyone tell me if I have hit on a connection for this disease that doctors do not seem to understand?.
http://www.llli.org/faq/colostrum.html This is the info on breast milk from previous posting.
this is ridiculous. When i’m healthy I get bitten, but when I get the flu or cold even if I’m surround by mosquitoes flying around me none of them bite me. So it is something in the breath that attracts them and also on the blood. I believe also in the food we eat that makes our blood different. I’m type 0 and so is my partner but she eats more spicy food than I do and never gets bitten, where in my case I eat less spicy and get bitten always. These mosquitos know me and bites me even if other people are next to me. So when I’m sick even if I go out and sleep I never get bitten. The breath and the blood-calorie? blood-flavor? is what attracts them.
Try living in Australia, my wife & I as well as our oldest daughter get smashed by mozzies, yet our youngest at 9 has never been bit? From the responses do far I will try vitamin b -1 tablets & applying mouthwash to all exposed areas of the skin.
The blood type theory is bunk. I am AB+, my partner is O+, and I am ALWAYS getting bitten. He never gets any bites. It is ridiculous. No matter who I’m with, it’s always me!!! Why?!?!?! And people look at me as though I’m crazy when I start scratching and mosquito bites start appearing, because no one else is affected!!! Frustrating!!!
thanks. needed the information you gave for my project :)
Yup, its still me. i am a B type but didn’t get bitten, why? please answer
i can say this is a good website and will recommend it to friends!
relax people, every living creature needs feeding…..
My son has epilepsy and takes Tegretol tablets. He never gets bitten, the Mossies land on him but fly off again. May be something in the Tegretol they don’t like.
I am AB and I always get bitten, my husband is B and never does. I am thinking it might have more to do with what you eat. I eat only high starch vegetables. I hate the rest. My husband loves them all. Tomatoes the best. He will eat tomatoes every meal in the summer. He grows his own. So I wonder if the acid in the tomato might have something to do with it. I have been thinking about taking vinegar pills and garlic pills this summer to see what happens. Wish me luck.
Can’t we give the mosquitoes a flu to suppress the AgOr1 receptor in their olfactory which responds to human sweat odors?? Or for an instance, cant we spray something on them that smells like the chems in our sweat and turns them attracted to each other? Like..canibals?? P.S. M not a scientist.. Just a thought.
wow no wonder why i get bitten so many times… im blood type O
I’m O+ and I’m permanently being eaten alive! Most repellents dont work for me. My fiance will lay next to be and not a single bite. I can cover myself from head to toe and they will still find a way in to bite me and still no bite on Mr. Fiance. Totally unfair! They really should just wipe out the species. Would do most people the world of favours!!
The best way to stop the itch from a skeeter bite, as told to me by a doctor. Turn on your tap to warm water and put the bite area (whelt) in the water. GRADUALLY increase the temp of the water until it is all but unbearable (don’t burn yourself) and hold under for about half a minute. This will break down the proteins from the “skeeter’s” saliva, which causes the reaction and itching. This really works for me, I hope it does for you too.
I’m not O but I keep getting bit all the time. I don’t mind mosquitoes though (death penalty seems too harsh just for some itching, and they had to do it to live). I’m just curious to know more about what attracts mosquitoes.
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