Mosquitoes are most attracted to dark colors such as black, red, or blue, because these darker shades are more visually noticeable to the insects than lighter shades. While an estimated 20% of people are thought to be genetically high attractors to mosquitoes, the insects choose who to bite based on who catches their attention first. After a mosquito detects people through its sight, it then typically narrows down who to attack through the insect’s sense of smell, of carbon dioxide in particular. People who produce more carbon dioxide per exhaled breath, such as pregnant women or those who have a larger stature, are generally targeted by mosquitoes first.
More about mosquitoes:
- Research has found that people who have recently drank beer are even more attractive to mosquitoes, which may be due to the scent of the beverage or alcohol making people breathe harder.
- Only female mosquitoes suck human blood--this is because human blood contains proteins necessary for the formation of their eggs.
- Many species of mosquitoes are attracted particularly to human feet because of the bacteria. Research has found that cheese such as Limburger, that is produced by stomping ingredients, is a major attractor.