5 Ways to Be Less Appealing to Mosquitoes

Why some people are mosquito magnets (and what you can do about it)

Co-authored by Joshua Bloom and Devin McSween

Last Updated: March 21, 2023 References

Reducing Your Attractiveness to Mosquitoes

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What attracts mosquitoes?

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Are some people more attractive to mosquitoes?

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Why do mosquitoes bite?

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Warnings

Ah, there’s nothing like enjoying a balmy summer evening outdoors…except when you’re the only one swatting away mosquitoes while your friends don’t notice a thing! Clearly, you’re more attractive to mosquitoes than your friends, but what makes you such a magnet? And what can you do to be less attractive to these pests? Well, you’ve come to the right place to find out. In this article, we’ll tell you why mosquitoes are more attracted to some people and what you can do to keep them away. Read on to learn more!

Things You Should Know

Wear long, loose clothing in light colors like white, cream, and tan to make yourself less of a mosquito target.
Spray insect repellents like DEET or picaridin on your skin to keep mosquitoes away.
Use unscented body wash and shampoo to smell less attractive to mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes are drawn to people whose skin emits more lactic acid, ammonia, and carboxylic acids. People who exhale more CO₂ are also more attractive.

Section 1 of 4:

Reducing Your Attractiveness to Mosquitoes

1
Wear subdued, light-colored clothing. Mosquitoes might not have the best eyesight, but they are more attracted to certain colors. Dark hues like navy and black, as well as bright oranges and reds, are like bullseyes to mosquitoes. So, stick to understated colors like white, cream, and tan to keep mosquitoes away.^{[1]
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2
Cover up as much as possible. One of the easiest ways to stop mosquitoes from biting you is to create a barrier between you and them. Mosquitoes have a hard time biting through clothes, so long, loose tops and pants are great to wear when the weather allows.^{[2]
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Trustworthy Source
Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source}
- Avoid wearing skin-tight tops and pants, even when they’re long, as mosquitoes can bite through them.
- Spray your clothes with permethrin to directly repel mosquitoes. Permethrin is an insecticide that kills and keeps mosquitoes away. It’s not meant for your skin, so wear gloves when spraying it on your clothes and shoes.^{[3]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services
  Go to source}
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3
Use unscented body wash and shampoo. Mosquitoes use their great sense of smell to find hosts, with fruity, floral scents being some of their favorite smells. During peak mosquito season, switch out your scented body wash, shampoo, and conditioner with unscented versions. If you’re camping or traveling to a mosquito-heavy area, keep unscented travel-sized options with you too.^{[4]
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- Also avoid wearing scented lotions, perfumes, and colognes when spending time outside. While you might not smell as nice, you’ll avoid attracting a lot of mosquitoes.
4
Spray a mosquito repellant on your skin. This might seem obvious, but insect repellants are a super easy way to be less attractive to mosquitoes. Just spray an effective repellant like DEET or picaridin on your arms, legs, and any other parts of exposed skin. Clip-on repellants that emit metofluthrin, such as OFF! Clip-Ons, are great alternatives if you don’t want to deal with sprays.^{[5]
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- If you don’t want to use chemicals, make your own repellant with citronella oil, geraniol oil, and essential oils like peppermint, lavender, and eucalyptus.
- Lighting a citronella candle is another great alternative to using sprays. They typically work best when they’re right next to you and there’s little wind.
- Contrary to popular belief, there’s no scientific evidence that eating garlic, vitamin B, or bananas repel mosquitoes.^{[6]
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5
Stay behind a screen. If you live in a mosquito-prone area but like to enjoy the outdoors, enclose your balcony or porch with mesh screens. If you prefer catching a breeze while you’re inside, make sure your windows and doors are screened too. Mosquitoes can’t bite you if you’re tucked away behind a screen, no matter how attractive you might be. ^{[7]
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Trustworthy Source
Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source}

Section 2 of 4:

What attracts mosquitoes?

1
Mosquitoes detect and fly towards carbon dioxide, or CO₂. Mosquitoes have special sensors that detect CO₂, which tells them that a host is nearby. When you breathe, you take in oxygen and exhale CO₂. The mosquitoes buzzing in your yard notice your exhale and follow the trail directly to you. So, just breathing outdoors attracts mosquitoes to you.^{[8]
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Trustworthy Source
National Institutes of Health
U.S. government agency for biomedical and public health research
Go to source}
2
Mosquitoes are attracted to certain smells on your skin, like lactic acid. Getting a whiff of CO₂ just draws a mosquito to you. It will want to land on you and bite if it also smells a blend of lactic acid, ammonia, and carboxylic acids wafting off your skin.^{[9]
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- Mosquitoes are often more attracted to people when they’re sweating and exercising. Your sweat contains lactic acid, which your body produces when you exercise.^{[10]
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- Bacteria on your skin are responsible for the odors that attract mosquitoes. Your skin’s bacteria interact with secretions from the glands on your skin, producing volatile fatty acids like lactic acid, ammonia, and carboxylic acids.^{[11]
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3
Mosquitoes might have a blood type preference. You’ve probably heard someone tell you that mosquitoes like you so much because your blood is sweet. That’s not entirely true, but mosquitoes might prefer some blood types over others. While researchers are studying what blood types mosquitoes favor more, the results are still pretty inconclusive.^{[12]
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- For example, some researchers found that mosquitoes flock to people with type O blood more than A, B, and AB.^{[13]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  PubMed Central
  Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
  Go to source} Other research indicates that mosquitoes prefer type B blood.^{[14]
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  Trustworthy Source
  PubMed Central
  Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
  Go to source}
- Mosquitoes aren’t particularly attracted to people with anemia, or a blood iron deficiency. In places where dengue fever is common though, having anemic blood can increase its spread.^{[15]
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Section 3 of 4:

Are some people more attractive to mosquitoes?

People who emit more lactic acid and CO₂ attract more mosquitoes. Some people naturally have higher levels of lactic acid, ammonia, and carboxylic acids on their skin, making them smell more intoxicating to mosquitoes.^{[16]
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Research source} Additionally, people who exhale more CO₂, such as those who are pregnant or overweight, often draw more mosquitoes to them.^{[17]
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- The amount of lactic acid and other chemicals on your skin comes down to your genetics and body composition. So unfortunately, it can’t be changed.
- Exercising and drinking alcohol tends to make you more attractive to mosquitoes in the short-term because you emit more CO₂.
- If you’re highly attractive to mosquitoes, they might still bite you even if you’re wearing repellant.
- Some people can gain a tolerance to mosquito bites. As they get bitten, their body produces fewer antibodies to deal with each new bite. This usually makes the bites feel less itchy.^{[18]
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Section 4 of 4:

Why do mosquitoes bite?

Mosquitoes bite you and suck your blood in order to reproduce. While both male and female mosquitoes drink nectar to survive, only females suck blood. They need specific proteins only found in human and animal blood to develop their eggs, which nectar doesn’t provide.^{[19]
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Trustworthy Source
Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source}

Warnings

Read the directions on your insect repellant before using it. Do not spray repellents directly on your face and keep the spray away from food.^{[20]
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United States Environmental Protection Agency
Independent U.S. government agency responsible for promoting safe environmental practices
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