Do Mosquitoes Like to Feed on Certain People More than Others?

This article was written by Morgan Delack

It’s no secret the mosquitoes are bad this year. It seems the pesky bugs swarm the moment a warm body walks outside. But the Smithsonian reports mosquitoes actually have a preference when choosing their next meal.

According to a Smithsonian post, there is a hierarchy when it comes to who’s blood to suck.

Grab some bug spray and invest in citronella candles if you fit into any of these categories: 

• Type O blood
• Wearing colors that stand out
• High amounts of bacteria on the skin
• Pregnant

According to the article, mosquitoes are more than twice as attracted to those with Type O blood than Type A. Adults get bitten more than children because they exhale more carbon dioxide over time, another attractive force for the bugs.

The Iowa mosquito population is falling, but still is higher than it was in 2012, according to the Des Moines Regster.

The number of mosquitoes caught in traps put out by Iowa State University researchers fell slightly last week, but numbers continue to soar compared to 2012.

An average of 400 mosquitoes were caught last week in the 22 traps put out around the state by the university’s medical entomology lab, said Brendan Dunphy, a research associate with the lab.

That average is around four times higher than any week in 2012, Dunphy said. Two weeks ago the traps caught a higher average amount than any week in 2012, 2011, 2009 and 2008.

Do you have any tricks to keeping mosquitoes at bay? Share them in the comments section.