Slashdot Mirror
Why Are Some People Mosquito Magnets?
First time accepted submitter CherryLongman writes "If you feel as if every mosquito in a 50-mile radius has you locked in its sights, while your friends are rarely bitten, you could be right. Up to 20 percent of us are highly alluring to mosquitoes — and scientists have discovered some surprising reasons."
I'm guessing these people contain the sweetest of the red juice.
mosquitos are attracted to carbon dioxide... im guessing some ppl exhale more/more often than others
You can ask any number of my former girlfriends--if you can keep them from stabbing you, setting fire to your house, or trying to poison your dog long enough to ask.
The cow says "Moo." The dog says "Woof." The Timothy says "Thanks, valued customer. We appreciate your input."
I keep Mosquitos away with the help of a good HOSTS file! The fastest and best way to secure yourself from external pests!
Yahoo Health? Are you joking?
One dumb lab tech sits in his underwear in his lab and reports the results?
I start getting bitten within seconds of entering a house with fleas. Same as mosquitos, I often have trouble convincing others that there is an infestation. Good to see the scientists confirming my observations. Again.
They feared that it could be used to suppress protest or support unpopular rule.
I have the same problem with chicks.
That is probably a result of the kernels of corn you scatter behind you every where you go. And is also probably an explanation for your inability to attract women.
The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted. James Madison
So people here can stop guessing:
Mosquitos prefer blood type O
Most people secrete substances that allow mosquitoes to identify blood type before they bite.
Beer drinkers beware
Swigging just one bottle of beer can significantly boost your risk of being bitten
Watch out for the full moon
The tiny bloodsuckers are 500 times more active when the moon is full
Keep your socks on
The pungent aroma of dirty feet is apparently irresistible to mosquitoes
Mosquitos know if you're expecting
Moms-to-be get bitten about twice as often as women who aren't pregnant
Running won't help you
Both the carbon dioxide we exhale and substances in sweat, such as lactic acid, help mosquitoes home in on their prey.
Dark-colored clothing can increase your risk of falling victim
Like vampires, they prefer dark clothes
Taking guns away from the 99% gives the 1% 100% of the power.
I'm not clear. Does this help because the USA has no mosquitoes? Or because you can now use assault weapons on them?
Slashdot - News for Nerds, Stuff that Matters, in ISO-8859-1 Has just realised that beta makes this signature redundant
The article caused me to experience a Flashback to the worst Mosquito related incident I've ever been through.
Basically, the wife and I were driving through the Everglades one night, when the car got a flat tire. It didn't take *that* long to change it, but between me sweating from changing the tire and the wife holding a source of light, we got MASSACRED by mosquito. And these weren't your typical, run of the mill mosquitos. These were EVERGLADES mosquitos. I even had tons of bites on my feet--how the hell did they bite my feet when I was wearing shoes + socks? A week later, we were still scratching.
The moral of the story: keep a can of mosquito spray in your trunk (Those things don't exceed 120F right?) if you're going to drive through anywhere swampy.
The Internet King? I wonder if he could provide faster nudity.
Here's an interesting thought in regards to mosquitoes. The only ones that bite are the females when they're going to lay eggs, since they need tho protein for the eggs.
:)
So when one bites you, and then goes off to lay eggs, the new mosquitoes that originate are created from *your protein* Like was created from your blood!
It's like you have little yous flying around
The Internet King? I wonder if he could provide faster nudity.
Skeeters are the only insect I have a reaction to. Get stung by a bee or wasp and the swelling goes down in minutes. Get bitten by a skeeter and I have a bump for a day or two. I don't know if it qualifies as an allergic reaction because the proteins in a mosquito bite are intended to have that effect. Running a spoon under hot water and then applying it to the bump should make it go down, as it breaks up the proteins that cause itchiness and swelling, although it may remain a red bump for a while longer.
* Rub yourself down with Olive oil. Extra virgin in particular. Oh, don't stand too close to the bonfire.
* DEET. Soak your cigar in it. The combination of second hand smoke and smell of chemical burns is a bit too much for them.
* Cover all exposed areas. A scarf works great for the neck and stocking cap for the head. I find an additional two layers of sweatpants and sweatshirts keeps the buggers from reaching you. Oh, three pair of socks and rain boots for the feet.
* Pig manure. It may sound crazy, but it works. Stop by your local pig farm on the way to your outdoor event and have a quick roll in the barnyard. Be sure to cover everything. After an hour or so, the manure dries to a hard crust which will protect you from being bitten for the rest of the day. Be sure to cover your face or they'll go for that in frustration.
Join the Slashcott! Feb 10 thru Feb 17!
Then quit stealing purses!
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Here's an interesting thought in regards to mosquitoes. The only ones that bite are the females when they're going to lay eggs, since they need tho protein for the eggs. So when one bites you, and then goes off to lay eggs, the new mosquitoes that originate are created from *your protein* Like was created from your blood! It's like you have little yous flying around :)
And my blood is made out of mosquitoes that i have eaten while riding my bike! My whole existence is like a man-mosquito ouroboros!
I've seen this myself in my own family. I'm of Mediterranean extraction and my daughter takes after me with dark complexion and oily skin. Neither of us are bothered anywhere near as much as my wife and son who show more Germanic ancestry (fair skinned)
This is so noticable that we comment on it all the time in the summer.
I really want to build a laser mosquito zapper (like this one: http://spectrum.ieee.org/consumer-electronics/gadgets/backyard-star-wars). However, this looks pretty pricey (multiple cameras and galvanometers).
That might be if they're Asian outside of Asia...
As an American, when I lived in India the mosquitos there were quite attracted to me, more than the people around me. I figured I was just exotic, foreign food to the Indian mosquitos. A real taste treat, different than their normal, mundane local food.
http://www.intellectualventures.com/index.php/inventions-patents/our-inventions/photonic-fence
If patents are so good, we should have seen this on the market already. If IV puts this into the public domain, Walmart will have a Chinese mosquito laser system in stock by Christmas.
Have gnu, will travel.
I've been many in regions where mosquitoes thrive. I'm seldom bothered by them, however, and I attribute this to my long standing habit of snacking on hot peppers of one sort or another. Skip right by those jalapenos, though. They don't seem to work as well as some nice Scotch Bonnets, or Bird's Eyes (Thai). Habeneros work extremely well.
I eat a handful of hot peppers everyday ;-)
people with high blood sugar do get bitten more often than people with very low blood sugar.
so just keep yourself on the verge of hypoglycemia when you go outdoors, what could go wrong?.....