Health
Why mosquitoes prefer some humans over others – and why we should exterminate them
Some people are tastier than others – at least to mosquitoes.
Many of us humans say it's not surprising, since science has confirmed long-held assumptions: Skin chemicals attract mosquitoes, and some people have a more appetizing smell than others.
Jeff Riffle, a biology professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he works in the university's massive insectarium, has been stung thousands of times in the name of research.
As Riffle explains, the mosquitoes are fed cow blood, but unless the mosquito populations collapse, the human researchers have no choice but to donate their own blood. (“This is not ideal at all,” Riffle said in an email. “This shows that these mosquitoes are really specialized to feed on us humans.”)
Some people attract mosquitoes for reasons they can't control: different compounds on our skin attract mosquitoes. But there are some things we can control, like the color of our clothes. Riffle told Seattle Now that mosquitoes seem to find black, orange and red clothing most attractive; white and green are less so. Mosquitoes are also attracted to hot people; the more sweaty and talkative a person is, the more attractive they are.
Related: Does anyone like hot weather? Northwest Mosquitoes
By understanding what attracts mosquitoes, Riffle and his colleagues can help companies develop bait and traps that lure them.
“We're in the lab trying to understand the cues, the genes, the nervous system and why they bite us,” he said. “The ultimate goal is to stop them from biting us.”
Riffle says it may be possible to completely eradicate certain mosquito populations that have evolved alongside humans: There are so many different kinds of mosquitoes that targeting those that harm humans or spread disease would likely not disrupt ecosystem balance too much, he says.
roughly 3,500 species of mosquitoesBut very few of them thrive on human blood, and even fewer spread diseases such as dengue fever, malaria or Zika.
Not all mosquito species bite humans, but of those that do, only the females feed on human blood.
“They're little vampires that suck blood to prepare eggs for their offspring,” Riffle said. “The males just fly around looking for females.”
Riffle said a chemical called DEET is effective at keeping mosquitoes away, and although it's controversial, studies have shown it's safe for children and pregnant women. If that's not your thing, frequent applications of lemon or eucalyptus essential oils are also effective.
Related: Why are there so few mosquitoes in Seattle?
Riffle buys clothes from REI that have mosquito repellent built into the fabric.
“If we actually eradicated the mosquito species that carry these diseases, it would have no effect on the ecosystem or the ecology of the environment around us,” Riffle says. “The mosquitoes around us are the problem that we're trying to avoid and control.”
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