Why do mosquitoes bite some people and not others?

Around 20 per cent of people are more prone to mosquito bites. And while scientists are yet to find a cure, they do have some ideas as to why the insects attack some of us more than others.

Blood type

Certain blood types are more attractive to taste buds of mosquitoes. Research has shown that people who have Type O blood - the most common blood type - tend to get bitten twice as much as those with Type A. People with Type B blood get bitten somewhere in the middle.

Exercise and metabolism

Working up a sweat during exercise can also make a person more susceptible to a mosquitoes bite. Strenuous exercise causes higher body temperatures and a buildup of lactic acid, which emit yummy signals to the insects.

Beer

A cold glass of beer makes you sweat and your body release ethanol, which may be why mosquitoes like to land on beer drinkers.

Skin bacteria

Levels of bacteria on the human skin can entice mosquitoes to bite, particularly where bacteria clusters like on the ankles and feet. Having different types of bacteria on the skin, however, tends to turn the insects off.

Body odour

Mosquitoes use even the faintest of human body odours when searching for potential victims. It’s been known for some time that female mosquitoes use specific sensors around their mouths to detect carbon dioxide being exhaled from humans and animals. But a few years ago, researchers from the University of California Riverside discovered the blood- sucking insects also use these same sensors to detect body odours - especially the smell of feet.