Of all the pests in the world, one of the most irritating, prevalent, and dangerous is the mosquito. Mosquitoes are virtually almost impossible to avoid, and their bites are itchy and are a real pain. Surprisingly, some people tend to get more bites than others. It seems there are factors that drive mosquitoes in choosing their victims. If you’ve ever wondered how mozzies are attracted to you, read on…
How mozzies are attracted to colour
One of the most common beliefs regarding what makes humans attractive to mosquitoes is colour. It has been speculated that the colour of one’s dress or clothing help mosquitoes find a person or prefer them over another human.
It seems that indeed, mosquitoes do get attracted to colour. Entomologists believe that mosquitoes rely on vision in order to locate hosts, particularly in the late afternoon. These insects can more easily find and locate you if you are wearing dark-coloured clothes, like navy blue, red, or black.
Mosquito sense organs
Mosquitoes have excellent sight. In addition to being able to sense changes in a specific scent or temperature fluctuations, they also get stimulated by your movement. And according to CalTech researchers, they can even see you even from 5 metres away.
Mosquitoes have two kinds of eyes. The first are compound eyes located on the side of the head; the second are photosensitive eyes known as ocelli, located at the top of the head. Each individual lens in the former have coverings known as ommatidia, and these eyes can detect motion and let the mosquito see in many different directions. Changes in light can be detected by ocelli.
Other sense organs include a maxillary palp and antennae, which help mosquitoes smell. They are sensitive enough to detect a host’s scent as far as 150 feet away. The mosquito’s palps can also detect the presence of carbon dioxide, which are produced by human inhalation. An elevated carbon dioxide concentration may indicate host presence.
Other ways how mozzies are attracted
Human sweat contains various compounds that are detectable to mosquitoes, including ammonia, uric acid, and lactic acid. The surrounding heat during summer elevates the body temperature and causes the body to produce sweat. These attract mosquitoes, which frequently cluster around your feet, hands, wrists, and ankles, the areas that are most exposed and more likely to become moist. In addition, Japanese researchers have also found that people with Blood Type O are more likely to be attractive to mosquitoes than people with Blood Type A.
How to avoid mosquito bites
Let us discuss some tips by which you may increase your chances of avoiding mosquito bites. First, you may use mosquito repellents. Secondly, you may wear loose and light coloured clothing which protects as much skin as possible from exposure. In your surroundings, make sure you maintain an environment with no standing water, with clean gutters and lawns, and no clutter.
Regardless of their effectiveness, mosquito prevention measures are not 100% effective, and should you need professional pest control specialist to help you, contact us for the best service in the Macarthur area.
