Why do mosquitoes seem to bite some people more than others?
There's always one in a crowd,a sort of harbinger of the oncoming mosquito bite,a person, mosquitoes seem to target more than others. What is it about these unlucky chosen few that makes them mosquito magnets? Mosquitoes are stimulated by numerous factors when seeking out a blood meal. Initially,they are attracted by the carbon dioxide we exhale. Body heat is probably important too,but once the mosquito gets closer,it would respond to the smell of a potent blood source skin. There are upto 400 chemical compounds on the skin that could play a role in attracting or perhaps,repulsing mosquitoes. This smelly mix,produced by bacteria living in our skin and exuded in sweat,varies from person to person and is likely to explain why there is a substantial variation in how many mosquitoes we attract. Genetics probably plays a big role in this,but a little of it may be down to diet or physiology. Sweat contains lactic acid,which is a key mosquito attractant, particularly for human - bit