5 reasons why mosquitoes love targeting you

I remember when I was a child, as most of us, I was covered head to toe with mosquito bites. They always told me to stop scratching the bite marks since it would just make things worse. I jealousy eyed those who weren't bitten so often or at least weren't bothered by their constant buzzing in the evening.

Fortunately, we now have a lot of different ways to protect ourselves from these tiny blood-sucking pests. If you're looking for a natural repellent, you can find a recipe for one on my blog.

However, the question continued nagging at me: what makes someone a better target for mosquitoes than others? Why are some people more frequently bitten than others?

It turns out that there are many reasons why some people are targeted by the insects more often than others. I looked into the matter and apart from the meaningless "individual characteristics and genetic reasons" I found the following more meaningful reasons:

• High body temperature: according to researchers, mosquitoes prefer those who give off a higher than average amount of heat than others. The reason for this can include unique characteristics, expectancy or heat due to some form of intensive physical exertion.

• Sweating: sweaty people aren't merely tempting targets for mosquitoes because of their body temperature. They are also attracted to the smell of perspiration.

• The amount of exhaled carbon dioxide: larger people or expectant mothers close to childbirth are tempting targets for female mosquitoes ready to lay their eggs.

• Alcohol consumption: a human body breaking down alcohol also exudes an interesting scent, yet researchers dispelled the misconception that the Vitamin B of beer helps keep mosquitoes away. People drinking beer are indeed more frequently bitten by mosquitoes, so if you thought this was a good way to keep them at bay, I suggest you reconsider.

• Blood type: research also indicated that this is an important factor. Tests showed that people with Type O blood are more attractive targets than others.