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Why do mosquitoes bite some people more than others? This question is asked every summer. Usually we find that they unwittingly attract mosquitoes to them. There are theories that it is determined by e.g. blood type or dark clothing. Is it really? We asked dr. Jarosław Pacoń from the University of Life Sciences in Wrocław, who also explained why mosquitoes bite us at all and what happens in the body after “being bitten”.
- In fact, only fertilized mosquitoes sting us. Their blood is essential for laying eggs
- Males serve only for fertilization, they feed on plant juices and are completely harmless to humans
- Why are some people more attacked by mosquitoes and others less? Dr. Pacoń says directly that there is no way that we can unknowingly attract mosquitoes to ourselves
- What is the most important thing for a bailiff when he chooses a “victim”? And does blood type play a role? We asked Dr. Jarosław Pacoń about this
- More interesting information can be found on the Onet homepage.
Why do mosquitoes attack people at all? The scientist is straightforward
Dr. Jarosław Pacoń points out that there are basically no mosquitoes (and actually mosquitoes – because only they attack us) that would only be directed at humans. They focus more on animals. – There are those that attack mainly birds and only in case of really great hunger do they lean towards mammals. There are zoophilic mosquitoes that rarely attack humans, and they prefer cattle, sheep and wild animals to us. There are also those that both animals and humans like – explains the specialist. Why is it like that? – These are genetically targeted preferences – says the scientist.
It is worth remembering that mosquitoes do not bite or bite – they sting. They have a prickly-sucking mouthpiece – a proboscis, which in the course of evolution has evolved from a biting mouthpiece.
However, a fundamental question arises: why do mosquitoes sting us in general? – Komarzyca needs blood to make eggs. Of course, for your survival, too, but to a much lesser extent. During his life, i.e. around the season, he will give birth to three or four litters, which means that he will lay several thousand eggs in total – explains the specialist, adding: – An unfertilized female mosquito will not sting us, she will not draw blood, because there is simply no need for it. It is interesting that when drawing blood, the female must suck herself fully, i.e. with a proboscis, she still draws blood, but at the back, from the anus, this blood is already leaking from her.
What about male mosquitoes? The scientist points out that they are actually only used for fertilization. – They feed on plant juices, nectar and are completely harmless to humans.
What do mosquitoes inject us when we prick?
But what happens in our body when the mosquito sucks our blood from us? – The sampling of blood by a mosquito is not a threat to us – anemia is not a risk for us – says Dr. Pacoń. “What she communicates to us then is more dangerous,” he emphasizes.
By sucking blood, the female injects us with saliva, which contains several dozen foreign proteins. Some disrupt blood clotting, others increase local pressure, which makes it easier to “drink” blood, others cause local inflammation. – These compounds can cause very strong allergies, although this is an individual matter. Some will develop only a small blister after the bite which will quickly disappear, while others develop diffuse large reactions that itch and sting. – There are, although rarely – also systemic reactions – he emphasizes.
Some herbs have a soothing effect on mosquito bites, such as the hemlock herb. At the injection site, it is worth using the Mini-Click, which soothes the symptoms of insect bites, inhibits itching and the urge to scratch.
Why do mosquitoes sting more than others? There is an explanation
The most important question remains: why are some people more attacked by mosquitoes and others less? What are we doing that we unwittingly lure mosquitoes to each other? There are theories that maybe mosquitoes may be attracted by the blood group – you can find information that mosquitoes more often sit on the skin of people with blood group 0 than those with group A (people with blood type B were in the middle). Does this theory make sense?
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– There is no such thing that we unconsciously lure mosquitoes to each other – replies Dr. Jarosław Pacoń. But why do some mosquitoes sting more? This is the answer. – These are individual differences – explains the specialist. – It is mainly determined by various types of alcohol compounds that are excreted with sweat, and precisely whether they are at all, and if so, in what amount. The smell of our sweat depends on them. As a result, it may happen that out of four people walking by the water, two will be severely bitten by mosquitoes and the other two will be “almost intact”. As for the blood type theories – they are not scientifically confirmed. The blood type would have to manifest in sweat somehow, the scientist notes.
Do mosquitoes attract dark colors?
Two more popular theories are worth dealing with. The first one says that mosquitoes sting pregnant women more often. What does the expert say? – It is possible that hormones, in particular female ones, also play a part in the interest of mosquitoes – says Pacoń. Women may attract mosquitoes at different times in their cycle. Likewise, pregnant women. As for men, testosterone does not work on the mosquito – he emphasizes.
Finally, it is worth referring to the colors. Some believe that dark clothes (especially black and navy blue) attract mosquitoes, while light ones protect against them. “There are indeed theories that the colors can affect mosquitoes,” says the specialist. – An example is the African tse tse fly, which does not like bright colors, which means that it attacks black people more often. What is the reason for this? Against a dark background, this insect is less visible. Observation of this phenomenon resulted in the creation of special dark screens that acted as enormous flysticks.
However, Dr. Pacoń quickly dispels hope: – Unfortunately, this type of sensitivity to colors does not apply to insects from our climate zone.
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