If you've ever come back from a festival or a holiday and wondered why you've been eaten alive by mosquitos while your mates have been left alone, there's a few reasons why you might be a mozzie's type.
Qualified nurse Miki Rai, posted a video to Instagram explaining the science behind your likelihood of getting bitten, and it's already picked up over 50,000 likes. In it she asks: “do you feel like you get way more bug bites than the average person?” before adding: “I'm gonna tell you why that might be”.
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You have a certain blood type
“Mosquitos actually like Type O [blood] best. So if you have Type O blood, congratulations, you're in the lucky group,” says Miki. One study found that the likelihood of mosquitos landing on people with O blood types was 83.3% versus the likelihood of them choosing a person with Type A blood, which was 46.5%. So while your blood type won't stop you from being bitten, having Type O makes it more likely.
You exhale more carbon dioxide
“This is supposedly how the mosquitos find us. The bigger you are, the more carbon dioxide you're releasing, putting you at risk. You also exhale more carbon dioxide after a workout, or when you're pregnant, so you may be more susceptible to bug bites,” says Miki. While humans can't smell carbon dioxide, mosquitos can, and from a great distance. It's the main signal that helps them acquire a human target.
You wear the wrong coloured clothing
“Studies show that mosquitos are actually more attracted to dark-coloured clothing – especially red, orange and black, so wearing light-coloured clothing can help,” Miki explained. A 2022 study established that once CO2 was detected (all humans emit carbon dioxide), four colours were more attractive to mosquitos. Red and orange registered highly, which scientists correlate to the colour of human skin which has the same wavelengths. Black and cyan also ranked highly. Scientists speculate that mosquitos feel more comfortable with darker colours as it matches the environment they favour (shadows, jungles etc). Light environments are where mosquitos are at the greatest risk of dying from dehydration.
Beyond the three factors that Miki shared, many studies have also indicated that high temperatures, sweat and even certain foods we eat can make us more desirable. People who consumed beer or bananas were both found to attract more mosquitos.
However, as the comments section suggested, even those with none or few of the above factors, can still get bitten. But, if you're a mosquito magnet, at least you might be closer to understanding why.
For more from GLAMOUR's Senior Beauty Editor, Elle Turner, follow her on Instagram @elleturneruk
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