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
Ive been bitten loads over the years, an i too have bad reactions to most ov the bites as itchy as they are you really do have to try not scratching them which is pretty hard to do. I have red hair an fair skin an very hot blooded . I think its a mix ov things that the mossies go for . i give off an irresistable aroma to the mossies wether that be hormones or my blood marker or just the scent ov me i dont know, but i have noticed over the years as im getting a bit chubbier an ive a lower immune system i dont get bitten as much. they say that fair haired people have thinner layers ov skin but more ov them than darker skinned people , that wud also make it easier to the mossie to bite you . So my theory is Aroma from the individual,scent ov blood type or bodily secretions,body temperature , ure diet, an maybe ure immune system bein high or low.I always use the Autan spray to repell them especially when i used to go abroad but i get bitten just as easily here in Britton.So if i go to a place that is near lakes or sum form ov water an lots ov trees an shrubbery i cover myself in Autan even if theres a small spot not covered the mossie will find it, because ov all the messages my body sends out that the mossies respond too. Hay wot can i say at least im irresistable to sum living creature in this world, lol…….
Oh yeah forgot to mention my blood type is O+ as are my son an daughters, my son has red hair an fair skin hes a teenager an the mossies luv him , my daughter has olive tone skin an its rare she gets bitten , shes recently had a baby so wether thats changed the dinamics ov her gettin bitten by the mossies or not ill have to ask her. I hate the bloody creatures an wot they do an wot they can cause desease wise, but the thing is we really shudnt wipe them out as they are a part ov the food chain there are animals that live off the mossies an try to keep the numbers ov mossies down, i agree that they are getting out ov hand all over the world,but the only thing we can do is keep finding ways to protect ourselves against the things . Its the individuals signature a mix ov things from the person that attracts them to a person, oh an its only the female that bites you…..Autan get loads in it works for me guys.
“…and so is evolutionarily predisposed to biting lazy or incapacitated prey (reference drinking above).”
I don’t think mosquitoes have the ability to judge a person’s laziness or inability to fight back based on whether they are drunk or not..
I’m AB+ and literally eaten alive.so continue the research !!
I am A+ and considered a fine cuisine to these biting pests. After being tested for which bee enzyme I am allergic to I was told by the dermatologist that my body omits an odor that attracts bees and bugs. REALLY? I already knew that. I can be in a crowd of fifty people and I am the one that the bees and bugs bother. Deer flies, which bite, are attracted to me and rarely bother the person next to me.
One thing you can do to get revenge with a mosquito is when one lands on your arm let her insert her sucker. When she starts to drink tighten the muscles in your arm as hard as you can. She will be unable to remove her sucker and will pop and leave a small amount of blood on your arm that she intended to steal. Works every time and is fun to watch happen!
The blood group theory must be correct. I am AB+ and have travelled to many mosquito areas, I have not been bitten once. My girlfriend was eaten alive during our last holiday and she is O-.
Try just drinking tonic water or beeter yet Vodka and Tonic, mosiquitos leave me alone and i attribute it to the quinine in tonic water, true tried and tested in the jungles of Honduras
blood type theory is probably wrong there are a lot of post with O types never getting bit my friend is almost 40 and never bittin once in her entire life and is O type.
my friends not a secreter either i dont think
I am type O+ and I rarely get bit by mosquitoes,spiders and fleas but my partner who is Blood type A- and he would be bitten by all of them.
We vacation in Montana and were eaten alive until we discovered Permethin soaked clothes. Google it. It really works. Last year the bites went down from the year before 40-80 down to 2-4 in 3 weeks. we’re going back again this year and will post the results.
The people that think that some people dont get bit more than others are idiots. These people are obviously the ones that dont get bit that often. I get eaten alive by mosquitos while my brother and friends who are sitting right next to me are unaffected. I am a big dude, and i sweat alot. So i was wondering if other people who sweat alot also get bitten alot. i thought that may have something to do with it. my brother is bigger than me but doesnt sweat near as much.
This is a test for the researchers. Could it be that the monquitos have a sence of determining which pray is healthy and which pray has either a terminal disease and chooses which pray to go after. It wouldn’t hurt to test this theory out… Look forward for comments.
It’s only in the last 4 or 5 years that I am being bitten. This year is the worst of the lot, my knees down are destroyed. The bat population is dying resulting in more mosquitoes as one bat eats thousands a day. It’s also dangerous how Bill Gates is utilizing the mosquito. Those chemical sprays are cancerous so I would never use them. I just ordered Byte Back from healthwyze.org hoping this will solve the issue.
THIS IS THE MOST RIDICULOUS ARTICLE I HAVE EVER READ IN MY LIFE I AM A+ AND GET SWARMED WITH MOSQUITOES. AND GET SWOLLEN BADLY AROUND THE BITTTEN AR
IT DOESN’T NEED A PHD IT ONLY NEEDS A BIT OF OBSERVATION FROM A PERSON THAT IS BEING ATTACKED MORE OFTENLY.
ITS THE SKIN TEMPERATURES USUALLY PEOPLE THAT COMPLAIN IT’S TOO WARM IN HERE AND CONSEQUENTLY THAT PEODUCES SWEAT OR STICKINESS AND THAT PRODUCES ODOURS
I drink a lot of beer and get eaten alive. Maybe that’s it.
In the mid-50s, I was sent to Singapore. The mosquitoes were a pest initially, until I was told to drink a pint beer before going to bed. After that, no more bites. Newcomers were warned immediately of this. Since Singapore is very hot and humid, you tend to sweat a lot, so the smell of the beer came through your skin, and the mossies didn’t like it.
I’d guess mosquito attraction differs for loads of reasons, including pheromones, skin microbes, blood microbes (bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, protozoa, prions, etc.), hair microbes, mineral levels in the skin/blood/body/hair, antibodies (wouldn’t be surprised if they made a mosquito vaccine some day), the food you eat, your immune function, how much you exercise, how old you are, hormones, sex of the individual, genes, aesthetics, skin texture and toughness, your thoughts about mosquitos, herbs, personal care products, metal poisoning and the lack thereof, etc.
Anyway, mosquitos bit me a lot as a kid, once in a while as a teenager, and hardly ever after that. I’d say it’s not always the same per individual. How noticeable the bites were (swelling/itching) seemed to correspond to how much they bit me. They don’t seem to swell anymore. It could be a coincidence.
I have O positive blood.
I think B vitamins are supposed to help, as well as raisins. Maybe see if fenugreek (internal), garlic and sempervivum (hens and chicks) help, too. Fenugreek is just a suspicion, but it really changes your smell (which could indicate things besides smell).
Catnip supposedly repels mosquitos. It often grows as a weed.
Anyway, I’m just ranting. I don’t know of this helps.
I am mid 30s indian…. When I was a kid.. I NEVER used to get bitten.. my annual trips to india….. I could see one of the suckers land on my arm.. rest and fly away… since the last 8 yrs… … urgh!!!>… 2 yrs Went to india ago and cuba a few times too I was eaten alive.. here in sunny England… I get bitten…. everywhere and anywhere… its horrible.. skin goes all red…. bumps and it gets REALLY SORE almost like a reaction… ive tried a lot of sprays etc…. no idea… I thought being Asian i’d b used to them and them to me !!!! battle continues!!!!
I never get bitten even when they land on me….figured they might be biting me but I am not allergic to them. I pretty much as far as I know am not allergic to much of anything. I also don’t get rashes with poison ivy or oak…mosquitoes buzz me alot in the early evening when I am in my pool. No bites
My blood type is O-. Rarely get bitten by mosquitoes. When I was a little kid it’s totally different, I got bitten all the time. One day I decided not to kill or harm mosquitoes while they are on me and after several years it gradually reduced the incidents of bites.
Well, I am a healthy 74 yr old and have NEVER been bitten by a mosquito,}they will sit on me periodically} but will not bite, no matter where I am or the conditions of the weather, night or day…I also have never had chigger bites even when everyone else is in the same area. don’t go to doctors, so do not know what my blood type is. Maybe I should find out, but if emergency comes up and someone needs donor, I will get tested. I feel blessed in so many ways. have a good day and don’t let the bedbugs bite either…
I get bitten a lot by mosquitoes and
I don’t know what blood type I am but I’m pretty
sure I’m blood type O. I think I’m more a B positive
So I think that blood type O rarely gets bitten
actually.
I don’t know what blood type i have but i never get bitten. ever. i’ve had about 5 bug bites in my entire life and i’m not kidding. i think it has something to do with my blood type, but i don’t know what it is.
I am type O+. I get bitten so much that I honestly canont go outside in the evenings. My ankles and legs a itching so badly I can’t focus. Once i get a bite, I itch for 3 weeks constantly. My wife likes to sit on the patio and enjoy the view. I cannot go outside. Bug spray like deep woods off does not work for me. I have a can of pure DEET from the army and it does not work. I spray my yard, burn citronella, I even carry dryer sheets in my pocket. Yet, when I am outside I am the only one getting bites. AHHHHH! haha
thank you a lot thats why i got bit but
thank you. Im sweet blood and thats why they always go for me.
http://blog.allstate.com/steps-to-help-prevent-west-nile-virus/
I went on a camping trip to the sand dunes with some friends, and i ended up getting 40 bug bites just on my face and probably even more on my body. One of my other friends also got bitten quite a few times on his face, but not as much as me. The other three friends got at least one bite each. I didn’t understand why, but now reading this article i realized it was probably because i have O- blood.
I got a place in a small town with many mosquitos around ( good nature area! ), i went there 2 last days , and specially with hot summer nights (25ºC and +), the place gets infested by mosquitos . I was with a friend ,and we got different results in hell bites.
Myself got 0 bites after 2 days there and around coupled 10-12 hours night-uptime, the first night didnt use repelent , and 2nd night i did use for the bugs not even land on me,just 1 or 2 landed in about 5 -6 hour .I don’t have O blood type( i can’t at the moment confirm my blood type) , and this season i am very very tanned ,so my skin is really burning hot ( but doesn’t hurt ,just feel my temperature skin is much higher ,when tanned) so i suppose the mosquitos still land on me,due to skin emiting higher temperature, but they don’t bite due to skin emiting higher temperature .My other friend ,in around 5 First minutes of evening he got biten around 7-8 times, just right after 4 hours beach time , he had to run up for the repelent, which worked good ,but still got biten 1 or 2 more time later on (probably due to the repelent effect passed).
Also, we both drank alot alcohol(red whine mostly )and i don’t know my friend’s blood type.
When i was younger( from child to around 15-16) though i do remember i would get biten by mosquitoes specially when sleeping .thats what i can add !
The photo you have used is not that of a mosquito. Looks more like some sort of cranefly (daddy long legs) to me.
im 22 and am always outside doing some kind of physical work around the yard and such. as long as i can remember i have been eaten alive so to speak by these things. my friends next to me are fine, but they see all these welts all over me and its itchy and so annoying. i just cant stand it. but this article has opened some light on the possibilities and im sure its my blood type.
thanks alot :D
I don’t like that the author urges everyone to run outand buy bug repellant, aka DEET. This chemical is very dangerous to fish, birds and all aquatic life, not to mention human health. It can be found in 75% of all US waterways, including the Mississippi River. Make your own bug spray from essential oils the natural way. They work, smell amazing and are not harmful to human health.
I have been searching in vain for information that makes some kind of sense about why I get so many of these nasty bites and my friends walk away with none. Just the other night I was sitting on my friend’s porch, there were 4 of us, within 5 minutes I had 6 bites and no one else had any! And like many of those who’ve posted before me, I get them in clusters, I had all 6 bites in a cluster on my forearm; it’s the most annoying thing and ITCH??? OMG!!! You just can’t imagine how bad it ITCHES, I want to scratch my arm right off…..I just wish someone could find something or someway to either get rid of them or a repellant that actually worked for those of us who suffer thru this.
I have over 100 mosquito bites and I’ve been inside with one door open and a screen covering that door. Using Deet (between 27% and 40%) daily, a few times a day, can’t be good for me. I’m using Tea Tree oil to try to combat skin infections, but I am seriously worried about diseases now. I woke with at least 70 of these bites. Blood type 0.
Oh, I forgot to mention that mosquitoes are attracted to potassium so I do avoid bananas and anything with potassium during mosquito season.
I have finally stopped being bit by mosquitos. I finally found something that works for me, and for many that try it when I spray it on them. I use doTERRA essential oils, specifically TerraShield. It is an awesome blend of oils that really work well. Lemongrass is just one of the many oils in it that really repel many insects. I love it and always have it on hand. I just put some oil in a spray bottle (the travel sized ones they sell at the grocery store), I put 10-15 drops of essential oil, and fill the rest with distilled water. Then I just shake the bottle, then spray it. It is awesome, smells good, works great, and has no chemicals in it!! :D
Here is some more information on the oil itself:
http://everythingessential.me/Blends/TerraShield.html
I get it here, in case anyone wants a link to it….
http://www.mydoterra.com/tiffaney
Yes! Finally something about irvine storage.
First: Your pic is not a mosquito, it’s a crane fly (Tipulidae)
Second: There are countless variables that can contribute to a mosquito selecting one person over another. I don’t think that mosquito bite preference can be distilled down to blood type
Third: Comment 338 – why do you think mosquitoes are attracted to potassium? Wouldn’t that make bananas alone the most attractive food source?
Fourth: Comment 335 and 339: Lemongrass oil IS a chemical, and it is not natural to spray something like that onto your skin without expecting some reaction from it. Natural oils within the lemongrass are not there to make it smell nice for humans, they’re meant to irritate other animals, including insects, to prevent herbivory, but since mosquitoes do not feed on plants the oils may not irritate them as they would a caterpillar.
This makes to much sense now I know why I get bit more than my friends! Its because I’m O-negative!
I have another theory. Some people are allergic to Mosquitos and some aren’t. I am, but if I take an allergy pill I don’t even feel the bites and there’s no inflammation. So next time try taking a Claritin and feel the difference.
Ok… im o n it sucks to be the target of mosquitoes
Hate it arggh
I am from India with blood type B. I find the body temperature theory very interesting, since I have higher body temperature than others and get bitten by mosquitoes more than others.
I used to get bitten a lot. The bite marks swell up like the size of thick, hot quarters and itch something terrible. I’ve used every spray out there, lotions and creams. I also use Caladryl for the itch and Benadryl depending on how many bites and how itchy. My blood is O negative and my Dad was AB positive. We all got bit about the same amount. We live in Detroit and there’s a lot of marshy wet areas that are breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Since I’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, I’ve noticed I haven’t gotten bitten. I feel them land on me or kind of touch me for a moment but they aren’t biting anymore.
I am O- and my husband is A+ and we NEVER get bitten. My daughter’s blood type is A- and she not only gets eaten alive but has HORRIBLE reactions to them. Last summer she had 3 going up her spine area and legs covered, they got so bad she had to be put on 2 different prescriptions creams and still took months to clear up. The ones on her spine hurt her, everytime she would move even the slightest bit she would break down in tears. Even covered up and using repellant she still somehow gets them bad! I don’t think blood type has anything to do with it. It seems like they’re reaching for knowledge they want so desperately that they pencil results that’s look and sound good.
Pretty much everyone has at least a mild reaction to Mosquitos. My daughter has taken Benadryl, used sprays, creams, prescriptions u name it and nothing makes a difference. I know every person is different and yes some with certain blood types might claim they get targeted more then others but there is obviously no certainty in any of this! Some people on here claim they agree with blood type theory and others say that’s wrong. Some people come on here looking for answers and get remarks like “take allergy meds see a difference.” What works for some, clearly doesn’t for everyone. It is very clear that they really don’t have any hard proof of why some get bit more then others. I have seen some people get very sick and have painful reactions to Mosquitos. I don’t find it funny, so for the people who read these posts and decide to be smart about what they write if u are not doing it to give advice to people or even just your input On the topic then maybe try not to write anything at all. Yes, it’s not that serious but it is meant to be informative and helpful to some people. SO…. There’s no need to try to be ignorant.
I am type O negative and have never had a mosquito bite in my life. Matter of fact all insects avoid me unless I happen to step on them or grab them accidentally. I’ve been hiking with friends that were being eaten alive even covered in Deet and I use nothing because I know I won’t need it. Also, my children are never bitten. Yes, And yes, I am quite pleased about it.