Why mosquitoes bite some people more than others
Content
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- Mosquito bite
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- Mosquito
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- Mosquito bite
Summer gatherings at the river or lake are often spoiled by flocks mosquitoes, without mercy attacking picnic lovers. In desperation, many wonder how these bloodsuckers do without people at other times and why they lack forest dwellers. And the thing is the insect searching mechanism of its prey and way of feeding mosquito. A person with bare skin is easier to detect and easier to puncture his skin.
Why bite
Mosquitoes are not as bloodthirsty as they may seem. All male mosquitoes eat only the nectar of plants. Females need bloodto produce eggs. Females of other species need protein to produce more eggs than if they fed on nectar. The main purpose of mosquitoes in the attack on the victim - reproduction and continuation of life.
Bite mechanism
Having found the victim, the insect does not just pierce the skin and drinks blood. If you consider mosquito under a microscopeIt can be seen that the throttling device is a complex device: it consists of 6 needles, closed by a protective sheath.
The extreme pair of needles has teeth, which help the insect to pierce the skin. The second pair spreads the tissue after the bite to facilitate penetration into the skin of the main working tools - the middle pair of needles. These needles are hollow.
On one of the main needles there are receptors, with the help of which the mosquito finds a blood vessel. She then uses the same needle to suck blood. The second needle from this pair in parallel injects a secret into the wound, due to which mosquito bites itch.
Who is more willing to bite a mosquito
Mosquitoes seek their prey, focusing on three factors:
- the smell of lactic acid (detection radius of several kilometers);
- the smell of carbon dioxide emitted by the body (detection radius of several hundred meters);
- thermal radiation (detection radius of several meters).
These are the main criteria by which a mosquito chooses a victim for a bite.
Gender Preferences
The eternal dispute over whether the mosquito victim distinguishes by sex is humorous. In men, the skin is rougher, and they are less likely to notice bites. But physical exertion in men is usually higher and lactic acid, along with more excreted. Basically, athletes of both sexes who are currently engaged in physical exercises are in the “first” risk group.
When approaching the mosquito "switches" to a source of carbon dioxide. The lung volume in men is larger than in women, and the amount of exhaled CO₂ is also greater. Children exhale carbon dioxide less women.
At the near turn bloodsucker focuses on body temperature. And here a lot depends on who is “hotter” at the moment. In children, body temperature is higher than in adults.
Interesting!
In the situation of “family on a picnic,” the mosquito in search will fly first to the smell of carbon dioxide, and at the approach it will switch to the child. In other cases, everything will depend on who has “heated” muscles or dark clothing.
Blood: Myths and Reality
Often you can find information that mosquitoes bite less people with a certain blood group. The information is not statistically confirmed by anything except “I think so.” A “notice” such a feature is usually after reading the article about mosquitoes and blood type. No one fixes additional factors:
- what they ate before that;
- what is the temperature of the body;
- what color clothes?
- how many people are around;
- what is the temperature of the body around;
- what color are the neighbors clothes:
- have taken any medications;
- what was washed clothes;
- what perfume used;
- a lot of other factors.
Only taking into account all these moments, we can confidently say that mosquitoes do not like to bite people with a certain group of blood. But a lot really depends on the composition of the blood.
The dependence of the number of bites on the composition of the blood
Ways to repel mosquitoes with the help of spicy herbs are known to many, but few people think that the same functions of spices are performed with regular use of them with food. The saying "we are what we eat" is completely true. With regular use of herbs change the smell of sweat. Mosquitoes begin to fly around side spice lover.
Important!
A one-time use inside the edible repellent will not give the result. Therefore, it makes no sense to chew basil or mint before a picnic. The result will be after daily consumption of these herbs for several days. And the dose should not be homeopathic.
The situation with cancer is similar. After the cancer is detected, even at the first stage, chemotherapy is started immediately. Medications change the composition of blood and the smell of sweat. Mosquitoes do not find such an object. Therefore, stories about the fact that mosquitoes do not bite cancer patients have a basis. But they concern only those who have already been diagnosed and started treatment.
The only exception is leukemia patients. A female mosquito needs red blood cells, the number of which in leukemia is significantly below normal.
On a note!
But alcohol mosquitoes do not care.The human body itself produces a small amount of ethyl alcohol and mosquitoes have long adapted to this substance. Freshly drunk alcohol does not interfere with mosquitoes, and then alcohol is eliminated from the body.
Clothes color
Insects do not have a color vision, they have a thermal imager. Mosquitoes are flying on the “hot” object. Dark clothes normally heat up more than white and very “fonite”. Therefore, when choosing between dark and white T-shirts, the mosquito prefers black. But if a person in white clothes has a fever, and a person in black has just doused with cold water, the mosquito will sit on a white one.
Mosquito Smell
They have developed this sense organ well, but they are only concerned with the smells of prey and repellent. The action is based on this. mosquito sprays. Spray applied to the skin interrupts the natural scent of a person, which is regarded by a mosquito as the smell of prey. If you regularly take a shower with aromatic gels, the mosquito is also less likely to find a person, as the first signal, sweat with lactic acid, is washed off.
On a note!
The smell of sweat-eating bacteria loves mosquitoes. If you have a choice, the insect will prefer a couple of days to the unwashed person.
Are emotions important
Not. Mosquitoes bite a crying or laughing person alike. But it is characteristic of man, when stimulating the nervous system, not to pay attention to minor distractions. Therefore, in a stressful situation, it may seem to him that he is not interested in mosquitoes.
Conclusion
If you need to protect yourself from insects right now, but mosquito repellent not at hand, you can wear light clothes that cover the arms and legs. This will dissipate the heat emanating from the skin. If you have time to prepare, then you can include spices from among those that are repelled by mosquitoes in the diet.
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