When I was pregnant with my sons, mosquitoes feasted on my calves like they were Twix bars. While I’m not normally one of those people who gets bitten like crazy, I have those poor souls in the family (see: my younger son’s ankles). So I’ve been wondering: What makes some of us mosquito magnets?
Are some people just plain sweeter? Is it true mosquitoes target women who are expecting, as I experienced? And, most importantly, what can we all do to escape these pests and their itchy bites this summer?
Bite prevention matters because mosquitoes can cause serious health problems. “Most mosquito bites are simply an annoyance that causes itching and discomfort, but some mosquito species can transmit diseases including West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis and, in some parts of the world, dengue fever, malaria and others,” says Daniel Parker, PhD, an expert in mosquito-borne illnesses and an associate professor at UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health.
To understand why some of us feel like we’re always getting eaten alive and to learn how to dodge mosquito bites, I spoke with Parker and insect-brain researcher Gabriella Wolff, PhD, an assistant professor of biology at Case Western Reserve University. Here are the wild reasons you may be a mark for mosquitoes—and what to do about it.
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Is it your imagination, or do mosquitoes find some people particularly delicious?
It’s not your imagination. “Some people appear to be more attractive to mosquitoes than others,” Parker confirms. Mosquitoes use carbon dioxide, body heat, skin odors and other factors to find hosts, he explains, which is why some of us end up covered in bug bites.
These little buggers are picky, and they put all their resources into finding the perfect targets. “Mosquitoes use their sense of smell, vision, taste, heat sensing and water sensing to find people to bite,” Wolff notes. (On the positive side: They went to an awful lot of trouble to pick you!)
Why do mosquitoes bite some people more than others?
Here are the main reasons why mosquitoes may be drawn to you.
The carbon dioxide (CO2) you breathe out
Here’s some fascinating science: “Mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide and follow plumes of this gas to find people to bite,” Wolff says. But wait—don’t we all exhale carbon dioxide? We do, but some of us breathe at a faster rate, so we expel more CO2 than others due to differences in metabolism, she explains.
Your body heat
Mosquitoes are also drawn to your body heat, Wolff says. In fact, a 2015 study found that the type of mosquito that can spread dengue fever seeks out human body temperature over much higher and lower temperatures. Other research suggests being a little warmer—as you get when exercising—may bring these suckers your way.
Pregnancy
I am not the only woman who finds herself extra yummy to mosquitoes while expecting. “Pregnant women have higher body temperatures and breathing rates, so they emit more heat and carbon dioxide, which attracts mosquitoes,” Wolff says. “[And] their skin tends to contain more of a chemical called 1-octen-3-ol, which is attractive to some species of mosquitoes.”
Your sweat
When we work up a sweat, we give off lactic acid and other by-products. And while you may not love the scent of that post-workout funk, mosquitoes sure do. They’re drawn to components in your sweat, including lactic acid, according to a 2019 study published in Current Biology. But everyone who goes for a run or does hot yoga isn’t equally delicious. “Humans can have subtle differences in chemicals in their skin, breath and sweat that make them more attractive,” Wolff says. How lovely.
Exercise
Working out or playing sports outdoors achieves the trifecta for bug bites. As Wolff explains, “while exercising, people exhale more carbon dioxide, have higher body temperatures and build up lactic acid—all of which make them more attractive to mosquitoes.”
Your blood type
Among the weirder reasons for mosquitoes playing favorites: They may prefer a certain blood type. Some research suggests that people with type O blood get bitten more frequently. And a 2019 study looking into whether a certain blood type encourages the spread of dengue fever found that mosquitoes did prefer type O, though the mosquitoes that feasted on O didn’t produce more eggs (which is a good thing).
As a type A+, I kind of love this research. The only problem is, it isn’t settled science. “The studies are contradictory,” Wolff explains. “It’s still unclear if any blood type is the most attractive to mosquitoes.” You know what that means, right? All of us A’s, B’s and AB’s still have to apply our OFF!
Drinking beer and eating bananas
Do you love a cold brew on a warm night? You might want to rethink that if you’re in a buggy area. Same goes for munching on a banana. Turns out, drinking beer or eating bananas can make you mighty attractive to mosquitoes. “Eating these foods may increase the amount of ethanol and lactic acid released from skin, though the direct link hasn’t been found yet,” Wolff says.
Still, if you have a choice at that outdoor restaurant, you may want to go with a crisp white wine and dodge the beer-crazy mosquitoes.
Wearing basic black (yes, seriously)
Everyone loves black … even mosquitoes. Apparently, some mosquitoes may be more attracted to darker colors such as black and red, particularly after they’ve detected your carbon dioxide. When mosquitoes smell CO2 from our breath, it prompts their eyes to scan for certain colors that they associate with potential hosts, according to a 2022 study by University of Washington researchers published in Nature Communications. They are drawn to black, cyan (a deep blue-green), red and orange. But there’s no need to ditch your summer LBD or blue romper, Parker says, since other factors are more of a lure to mosquitoes.
What can you do if you’re a mosquito magnet?
First, don’t panic if you see a few zipping around. “There are over 3,500 species of mosquitoes, and only some bite humans,” Wolff says. “Some prefer other mammals, birds or amphibians, and some do not feed on blood at all and only drink plant nectar.” So you can file that with all the other weird-but-true insect facts that you never imagined could be true.
But what about the mosquitoes that prefer humans to plants and mammals? You need to think about prevention. Here are some pro strategies to mosquito-proof your summer.
- Use mosquito repellent every time. “Bug sprays with DEET or picaridin have the strongest evidence behind them,” Parker says. There are several formulations to choose from, including sprays and wipes. OFF! Clean Feel Insect Repellent has picaridin—which is made from chrysanthemums. With DEET, you can choose from low concentrations (OFF! Family Care has 7% DEET) to higher ones like Ben’s Tick and Insect Repellent (with 30% DEET) if you’ll be somewhere especially buggy.
- Swap in these essential oils. Prefer to avoid DEET or picaridin? Clove, cinnamon or lemongrass essential oils have a repellent effect on mosquitoes, Wolff says. “DEET should only be sprayed on skin once a day, but essential oils can be reapplied when you no longer smell them.” It’s a strategy this pro uses herself: “I personally mix a little cinnamon oil in my lotion or sunscreen,” she says. Finding alternatives to DEET is actually becoming an urgent issue. A 2026 study by Virginia Tech scientists published in the Journal of Experimental Biology found that mosquitoes can learn to like the smell of DEET, as their brain rewires itself to link that bug-spray smell with a real reward (i.e., your tasty flesh).
- Wear proper clothes. To keep mosquitoes (and ticks) away, wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt in a light color, Parker advises. If you work outdoors or frequently hike in mosquito-laden areas, you may want to invest in special mosquito-resistant clothing. “Permethrin-treated clothing can provide additional protection for people who spend a lot of time outdoors,” Parker says. It comes in everything from tops and pants to socks and workout tights.
- Skip the flowery and fruity perfume. You’ve probably heard bugs like scented lotions and figured that’s just some old wives’ tale. Surprisingly, it’s true. “Mosquitoes feed on flower and fruit nectar for energy, so floral or fruity scents may be attractive to them,” Wolff says. If you’re hoping to turn them off, you may want to skip floral and fruit notes in your fragrance, as well as scented hair and body products.
- Shower after exercising. Post-workout, hop right in the shower, and suds up to remove traces of sweat.
- Run a fan. If you’ll be sitting outside, turning on a porch fan or other outdoor fan can help. “Mosquitoes are relatively weak fliers, and moving air can make it harder for them to find and land on you,” Parker explains.
- Consider a Metofluthrin-based spatial repellent (like Thermacell). These gadgets disperse a vapor of metofluthrin—an insecticide—about 15 feet into the outdoor air, deterring mosquitoes. “They are currently one of my favorite approaches,” Parker says.
- Get rid of any standing water. Parker calls standing water the biggest factor in contributing to mosquito problems. “Mosquitoes can breed in surprisingly small amounts of water, including buckets, plant saucers, birdbaths, clogged gutters and even bottle caps,” he says.
- Be alert for symptoms. Most bug bites are harmless. (Phew!) But Parker recommends keeping an eye out for symptoms of a mosquito-borne infection. If you develop a fever, severe headache, unusual fatigue, neurological symptoms or other significant symptoms within days to a couple of weeks after heavy mosquito exposure, contact a health-care provider. “Many people won’t remember a specific mosquito bite,” he says, “so the exposure history can be more important than recalling an individual bite.”
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Sources:
- Gabriella Wolff, PhD, assistant professor of biology at Case Western Reserve University; phone interview, June 12, 2026
- Daniel Parker, PhD, associate professor at UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health; email interview, June 15, 2026
- Nature: “Mosquito taste responses to human and floral cues guide biting and feeding”
- American Journal of Entomology: “Blood Feeding Preference of Female Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes for Human Blood Group Types and Its Impact on Their Fecundity: Implications for Vector Control”
- Journal of Experimental Biology: “Associative learning switches DEET valence from aversive to appetitive in Aedes aegypti”
- Virginia Tech News: “Think DEET keeps mosquitoes away? They may be learning to love it”
- PubMed Central: “The cation channel TRPA1 tunes mosquito thermotaxis to host temperatures”
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