Your blood type and your smell, and even the color of the clothes you're wearing, can affect the number of mosquito bites you get.
Summer offers long days, warm nights and plenty of outdoor activities, from hiking local parks or cruising biking trails to hanging out with your dog or spending a weekend at the beach with your besties. Spending time outdoors is no fun, though, if you're getting eaten alive by mosquitoes. Mosquito season started in March, and depending on where you live, it can last through late November. Though some folks might get only a single bite, others will end up covered in itchy red bumps, so what gives? There's actually a scientific reason why mosquitoes target certain people more than others. Here's why mosquitoes bite, and how you can make yourself less of a target this summer. For more, learn about how to safely remove a tick and how you can alter the colors of your hydrangeas. Why do mosquitoes bite? Contrary to what you might think, mosquitoes don't bite people for food; they feed on plant nectar. Only female mosquitoes bite, and they do so to receive proteins from your blood needed to develop their eggs. Why are some people more prone to bites? There are several factors that impact why some people are more prone to mosquito bites than others: Blood type A common belief is that mosquitoes are attracted to certain blood types, considering mosquitoes bite humans for their blood. Blood type is determined by genetics, and each blood type is created based on the different sets of specific proteins, called antigens, on the surface of red blood cells. There are four main blood types: A, B, AB and O. While there are no firm conclusions as to which blood type is more attractive to mosquitoes, several studies have suggested people with type O are most appetizing to mosquitoes. A 2019 study observed mosquito feeding behavior when presented with different blood type samples, and found mosquitoes fed from the type O feeder more than any other. A 2004 study also found that mosquitoes land on blood group O secretors (83.3%) significantly more than group A secretors…