You have probably experienced mosquitoes buzzing around you at some time or another… After all, they are extremely common, and your property may be an attractive breeding ground for these irritating, and potentially harmful, insects. But that is the thing, their buzzing — it is so annoying —particularly around your ears! So, why do mosquitoes buzz in your ears?
Why mosquitoes buzz in your ears
Mosquitoes are not particularly attracted to your ears. But they end up buzzing around these parts of your body for three reasons:
- They are attracted to you because of carbon dioxide and heat. Carbon dioxide and heat are some of the main attractors of mosquitoes. This is because they use these as signs when they are hunting a living being, not some rock in the garden. And you naturally produce carbon dioxide and heat. Your body exhales carbon dioxide and emits heat, and this attracts mosquitoes to you. It doesn’t help that you breathe out near your ears too.
- Your head is one of the most exposed parts of your body. Mosquitoes don’t discriminate between your body parts. If it is an area where they can bite and suck your blood, they will take advantage of it, whatever body part it is. The only discrimination among body parts involve skincare products. For instance, the ingredients of your deodorant can help prevent mosquitoes from biting your armpits, but your product-free hands and feet are fair game. Your head, including your ears, are also easy targets because you don’t cover them.
- You have a lot of mosquitoes in and around your property. You already naturally attract mosquitoes because of your carbon dioxide and heat. And you are not doing yourself any favors if mosquitoes find your property ripe for nesting. Clutter and stagnant water are some of the most common breeding grounds of these pests. Make sure to maintain the cleanliness of your home, both inside and outside.
How to avoid mosquitoes buzzing in your ears
1. Minimize carbon dioxide and heat
You can’t completely get rid of carbon dioxide and heat. After all, they are products of your normal bodily functions. But there are ways to minimize these products to prevent them from attracting mosquitoes.
To minimize your carbon dioxide output, avoid heavy tasks that may make you breathe heavier than usual. If it’s inevitable like when you are exercising, consider doing it in the daytime where most mosquitoes are not very active. Heat is more manageable because you can easily control the temperature of your room by using fans or air conditioners.
2. Take a bath regularly
Mosquitoes may buzz in your ears because of other attractors like sweat. Mosquitoes like lactic acid and moisture — both of which can be found in your sweat. You may be thinking that you are not sweating throughout the day, so there is no way you are attracting mosquitoes through sweat. But this is a common misconception about human bodily functions.
Humans naturally sweat throughout the day even if they don’t do anything physically taxing. It’s a good idea to regularly take a bath to constantly remove sweat from your body. It’s also a good habit to take a bath before going to bed for a mosquito-free night.
3. Avoid dark clothing and floral scents
Do you ever notice how some people seem to be bitten by mosquitoes more than others? If you are on a picnic, one person can have a lot of mosquito bites while another can have nothing at all. It can be because of their blood type. Mosquitoes like pregnant women and those with blood type O. But it can also be because of other mosquito attractors like dark clothing and floral scents.
Dark clothing attracts mosquitoes because these pests are visual hunters. It’s easier to spot those wearing dark clothing compared to those who are wearing light ones. There is no scientific evidence that floral scents indeed attract mosquitoes. But based on observation alone, mosquitoes seem to be attracted to fragrances, perfumes, and other body products with floral scents.
4. Cover yourself
Mosquitoes are some of the deadliest animals on Earth. You have every incentive in the world to cover your skin to prevent mosquito bites. If you think you are going to be exposed to mosquitoes and other pests, wear long-sleeved shirts, pants, gloves, and socks, especially if the temperature and weather don’t make these clothes too uncomfortable.
If you don’t want mosquitoes to buzz in your ears, you can consider wearing beanies, ear warmers, or any kind of clothing that can cover these parts of your body.
5. Use repellents on yourself
DEET is one of the most common ingredients you can find in mosquito repellents. You will usually find these products in the form of lotions and sprays. But take note that repellents don’t kill pests. They just “repel” them. In the case of DEET, it just masks your skin, so it becomes harder for mosquitoes to detect you.
Read the instructions for proper application. As an added safety measure, don’t apply repellents on the hands of very young children who don’t know any better. They may only end up ingesting the product.
6. Spray insecticide around
Mosquitoes like to breed on stagnant water, such as those that can be found on your birdbaths, gutters, and vases. But they can breed inside your home too. The dark side of your furniture, the moist area under your skin, the undisturbed corner of your cabinet — these are just some of the places where mosquitoes can thrive.
You can kill and prevent mosquitoes simply by maintaining the cleanliness of your home. But when that fails, there is always insecticide. Like with repellents, you should read the instructions that come with the pesticides before you use them. This will ensure that you are using them correctly and safely.
Mosquitoes are not necessarily attracted to your ears
Even though mosquitoes always buzz in your ears, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they like your ears in particular. They just happen to be around the area because you breathe out carbon dioxide and emit heat near them — two of the main attractors of mosquitoes. It also doesn’t help that your head is more exposed compared to other parts of your body and your property is a potential breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Luckily, there are a lot of things you can do about it, like avoiding mosquito attractors, covering up, and getting rid of the mosquitoes themselves.