Mosquitoes are some of the world’s most dangerous animals. They spread deadly diseases like malaria and kill millions of people every year. You clearly don’t want these insects anywhere near you!
Here is a list of the most common things that attract mosquitoes. If you know what attracts mosquitoes, you will be able to keep these dangerous bloodsuckers away.
1. Stagnant water
Mosquitoes lay their eggs on stagnant water. This is the reason you usually see them on wetlands such as ponds and marshes, but if you have stagnant water outside of your home, this will attract mosquitoes as well. The key is to eliminate all sources of stagnant water around our properties.
- Clean your garden, lawn, and yard. The outside of your home can have stagnant water coming from a variety of sources, such as birdbaths, clogged gutters, fountains, and even unmaintained swimming pools. Don’t disregard containers too, like flower pots, vases, and junk such as old tires.
2. Heat
A list of things that attract mosquitoes is incomplete without blood, right? But it’s not necessarily the blood itself that attracts these dangerous pests. Mosquitoes have heat sensors, and these sensors are very good at detecting the blood circulating and distributing heat throughout your body.
- Keep yourself cool. As much as possible, avoid letting your surroundings become warm or hot. Use air-conditioning if necessary. The warm temperature is also good for mosquito nesting. But don’t forget about yourself either. Keep yourself cool by drinking lots of water and avoiding intense physical activities in the warm parts of your home.
3. Sweat
Mosquitoes love moisture, not just in their breeding grounds, but also in their victims. This is why sweat is one of the common things that attract mosquitoes. Sweat can be hard to completely eradicate because humans naturally sweat even if their surroundings are not that hot. You can be particularly vulnerable to mosquitoes during or after exercise as your body sweats more.
Sweat also has lactic acid, and it turns out that mosquitoes like this compound too. There are food items with lactic acid as well, especially sour milk products like yogurt. So, if you are a health enthusiast who likes to exercise and consume yogurt, you may as well have a welcome sign for mosquitoes.
- Take a bath before going to sleep. You can avoid exercising but still end up having sweat throughout your body because of your day-to-day activities. Avoid attracting mosquitoes at night by washing the sweat away with a bath before going to sleep.
4. Carbon dioxide
Mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide. Unfortunately, carbon dioxide is not something you can completely eliminate from your life. Whenever you exhale, you release a variety of compounds including carbon dioxide. It gets worse. These compounds increase the temperature in your room too, and that can attract mosquitoes even more.
If you are pregnant, you are more likely to attract mosquitoes because you exhale more carbon dioxide and your body temperature is a little higher compared to the average person.
The best thing to do is to minimize the effects of carbon dioxide in your room. You should also keep yourself cool to prevent the heat from attracting mosquitoes.
- Turn on the fan. Mosquitoes are weak fliers. They can easily be blown away by the wind. It’s a good idea to have an artificial wind in your room. You can do this by turning on the fan and let it pan across the room. This way, you will have consistent winds throughout your room. This will not just redistribute carbon dioxide around your room. It will also make your room a little cooler and therefore less likely to attract mosquitoes.
5. Alcohol
Being outside alone puts you at risk of mosquitoes and their bites. But you are making yourself more vulnerable if you are having a cold one by your yard. Mosquitoes are attracted to alcohol. You may want to save the drinking inside your home or in a bar. According to observation alone, alcohol is a mosquito attractor. But many experts dispute this. Many believe that the increase in temperature in your body and your sweating are more likely the factors that attract mosquitoes, not necessarily the alcohol content in your blood.
- Avoid drinking, especially outside. Whether it is the alcohol, heat, or sweat that is attracting mosquitoes, it doesn’t change the fact that drinking can put you at risk of these bloodsuckers. If you can’t avoid drinking altogether, do it in a place where you are less likely to be vulnerable, such as inside your home or in a bar.
6. Dark clothing
Mosquitoes are visual hunters, and nothing makes you stick out more than dark clothing. Whenever you are doing outdoor activities like picnics, do you notice that some people are more likely to get bitten by mosquitoes? You will notice that most of these people have dark clothing or the other attractors that have been mentioned earlier. If you are wearing dark clothing outside, you are basically asking to get bitten.
- Wear light-colored clothing. Preventive measures shouldn’t be complicated. Mosquitoes are attracted to dark clothing, so wear light-colored clothing instead. Mosquitoes are also very good at identifying signs of life, not just the sweat and heat from your body. They are also good at detecting movement. Try not to be overly active, especially whenever you are outdoors where you are more at risk of these pests.
7. Floral scents
There are no scientific studies to back this up, but based only on observation, mosquitoes seem to be attracted to fragrances and perfumes, especially those with floral scents. It’s great to include this in the list because fragrances and perfumes are so common. You may be using scented candles, detergents, shampoos, soaps, and other household and hygiene items.
- Consider switching to unscented products. Sure, scented items are nice. They add more flavor to your home and body. But because they have been observed to attract mosquitoes, consider switching to their unscented versions. If you really can’t let go of their scents, consider making the switch temporary. You can switch to unscented versions only on spring and summer where mosquitoes are more prevalent.