image by: frankieleon

HWN Suggests

These 7 things make mosquitoes bite you more

Does it seem like mosquitoes search you out specifically, maniacally biting you just to make you miserable? Blame your genes. And your smelly feet.

Basically, mosquitoes choose their prey (you) based on a whole bunch of factors. Many myths exist; for example, the idea that eating bananas can repel the bugs doesn't hold up.

But scientific research has found evidence supporting several reasons why mosquitoes may seek you out, though these studies are often on different kinds of mosquitoes, so the actual things attracting them to you may vary depending on which species are nearby. And many of these studies are small, so these are preliminary…

read full article

Featured

  These 9 tips will help you avoid mosquito bites. They'll also ruin your day.

Sure, people might call you a weirdo — but if you want to get as few mosquito bites as humanly possible this summer, here's what you need to do.

 Here’s Why You Are a Mosquito Magnet

What is known now is that your habits, the food you eat, or the perfume you wear do not play as large a role in mosquito attraction as one may think. Rather, female mosquitos, which are the ones that bite, are attracted to the scent of carbon dioxide, which all humans emit through their pores. “Female mosquitos have carbon dioxide receptors, which they use to tell where carbon dioxide is coming from and how close they are to it,” says Logan.

 How To Stop the Itching From Mosquito Bites

There are tried-and-true mosquito bite treatments that can relieve itch fast—and some that won't.

 The 5 Best Ways to Prevent Mosquito Bites

There are more options for handling mosquitoes than simply drenching yourself in a smelly DEET-based repellent. Here’s what the experts recommend.

 Why mosquitoes bite some people more than others

Surprisingly few of the more than 3,000 mosquito species actually specialise in biting humans. Instead, most are opportunistic feeders – feeding when they are able and from lots of different sources. But Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae are well known for their preference for human blood and their role as vectors which transmit disease in humans. Ae. aegypti has been linked to zika and dengue, while An. gambiae carries the parasite which causes malaria. Not only do certain mosquito species show very strong preferences for obtaining their blood meals from humans, they also appear to discriminate between people when choosing their next meal.

Articles of Interest

Fighting the ‘Cockroach of Mosquitoes’

The Zika-carrying Aedes aegypti species bites by day and hides indoors by night, making it hard to eliminate.

How to keep mosquitoes away

Mosquitoes are small, but dangerous, and climate change is making the threat of mosquito-borne diseases far worse. Pretty much everyone wants to keep skeeters away, and with a bit of work, you can evict them from your lawn, your town, and almost anywhere else.

How To Tell A Spider Bite Apart From A Mosquito Bite

When mosquitoes bite, they make one hole. Some saliva is injected, and then they drink up blood straight from the capillary. The bite can swell and itch, or not be noticed. Some mosquitoes spread rather dangerous diseases, like malaria or dengue fever. Spiders inject venom from one or two “fangs,” or chelicerae, though the two bitemarks (like a tiny vampire bite) will vanish.

Prevent Mosquito Bites

Mosquito bites can be more than just annoying and itchy. They can make you really sick. Protect yourself and your family when traveling overseas. Using insect repellent is the best way to prevent diseases like Zika, dengue, and chikungunya that are spread by mosquitoes.

Take a Bite Out of Mosquito Stings

While mosquitoes can carry blood-borne diseases like malaria, West Nile encephalitis and dengue fever, it is the aggravating bite that gives them their notoriety.

The Dos and Don’ts of Mosquito Bites

It happened: you’ve just been bitten by a mosquito. Get ready for swelling, itching - and if you’re like some of us - about a dozen more bites to come. For many – the lucky ones – mosquito bites only result in a mild allergic reaction that goes away in a short period of time. But in some cases, a mosquito bite could lead to the onset of a more serious allergic reaction, or the contraction of a mosquito-borne illness such as Zika, West Nile or encephalitis.

Ways to Stop Mosquito Bites From Itching

Next time you become a mosquito’s target, look no further than your home for a natural remedy. Here are some surefire ways to stop the itching from mosquito bites...

What's The Best Way To Keep Mosquitoes From Biting?

Which repellents work best to stop mosquitoes from biting? "Picaridin is a little more effective than DEET and seems to keep mosquitoes at a greater distance,"...When people use DEET, mosquitoes may land on them but not bite. When they use a product containing picaridin, mosquitoes are less likely to even land.

Why One Man Let Mosquitoes Bite Him 200 Times

Would you turn your skin into a parasite buffet for science?

Resources

Mosquito Joe

The importance of mosquito control is often underestimated, but you should remember that these tiny insects are the deadliest animals in the world, carrying diseases that cause severe illness and death.

Mosquito World

Welcome to Mosquito world, a comprehensive mosquito control guide all about mosquitoes; what they are, how they feed, why they bite and most importantly, how to get rid of them.

MayoClinic

If you tend to have large or severe reactions to mosquito bites (skeeter syndrome), consider taking a nondrowsy, nonprescription antihistamine when you know you'll be exposed to mosquitoes.