Mosquito (Culicidae) on a leaf in Germany (photo from Wikimedia)

22 July 2026

In June I had no mosquito bites and was congratulating myself for being careful, but in fact there must have been fewer mosquitoes. Yesterday at Nine Mile Run they whined around my head and turned my hands into itchy pincushions.

If mosquitoes are present they find me. I must be one of the estimated 20 percent of people that mosquitoes bite more often on a consistent basis. Why do they feast on me — and maybe you — more than other people? It comes down to attracting them.

Mosquitoes find us by scent and sight.

CO2 in our breath attracts them from as much as 100 feet away. People who exhale more CO2 are more attractive. Don’t exhale? Not an option.

How mosquitoes seek a blood meal (illustration from Wikimedia)

Mosquitoes are visually attracted to red, orange and black. Don’t wear those colors outdoors.

People at an outdoor meeting. The person in red attracts more mosquitoes (photo from Wikimedia)

At 1 meter, 3.2 ft, mosquitoes can smell your skin and are attracted to a combination of lactic acid, ammonia and other substances in human sweat. They like sucrose (sugars) and salt but not bitter.

At close range — swatting distance — mosquitoes are attracted to heat. Long pants and long sleeves deter them. An exposed hand will attract them. Here’s a thermal image.

Thermal image of a hand (from Wikimedia)

There are a few more things that attract them, most of which we cannot control.

• Alcohol makes your skin smell delicious to mosquitoes. Don’t drink if you’re going to be near them.
• Type O blood is the most attractive to mosquitoes.
• Genetics: Studies of identical twins show that being attractive to mosquitoes runs in families.

The good news is that repellent works. If your skin tastes bitter mosquitoes won’t bite. Some people use DEET. There are also a host of natural repellents tested and listed at NIH: Plant-based insect repellents: a review of their efficacy, development and testing. #1 on the list is lemon eucalyptus.

Find out more about mosquitoes’ preferences in Smithsonian Magazine: Why do mosquitoes bite some people more than others?