Posted on 05/24/2014 11:28:23 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
It's Memorial Day weekend, which means the time for barbecues and nights outside has begun. But, unfortunately, it's also the time that mosquitoes see as open season to dine on humans.
If you can't spend a summer night outside without slapping your ankles — and you still end up with dozens of mosquito bites — then it might be true that the flying pests really do love you.
And those lucky people who say they don't get bitten? They exist too.
But it's not because one person's blood tastes better to the small hovering bloodsuckers — or at least, not just that. In a TED 2014 talk earlier this year in Vancouver, microbial ecologist Rob Knight explained that the bacteria, or microbes, on skin produce different chemicals, some of which smell more attractive to mosquitoes.
The trillion or so microbes that live on skin are a small percentage of the 100 trillion bacteria that live on and inside the body, but they play a huge role in body odor. Without those bacteria, human sweat wouldn't smell like anything.
However, those different bacteria vary greatly from person to person. Knight explained that while we share 99.9% of DNA with other humans, most people only share about 10% of their microbes.
To demonstrate that mosquitoes are overwhelmingly attracted to certain types of skin microbes, researchers asked 48 adult male volunteers to refrain from alcohol, garlic, spicy food, and showers for two days. The men wore nylon socks for 24 hours to build up a collection of their unique skin microbes.
Researchers then used glass beads that they had rubbed against the underside of the men's feet to pick up their scent as mosquito bait.
Nine men out of the 48 proved to be especially attractive to mosquitoes,
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
Naw, just buy deep woods Off.
That would be Avon Skin-So-Soft, not Amway.
I’ve often wondered why you smell like a salad when I post to you. (grin)
Here's a funny mosquito story from Boot Camp 25 years ago:
Parris Island has these big black and yellow striped mosquitos. One day 4 of us were on some errand, I don't even remember what, and it was raining.
One of those mosquitos got under the bill of my cover, right in front of my face, and just followed us along, enjoying the shelter from the rain.
When we got out of the rain, I swatted him (actually probably her) away.
Don’t bother to read it....just kick back and have a few beers this weekend!
Skin So Soft was a must in south Georgia, to keep the gnats away. Much more annoying than mosquitos.
Mosquitos must love muzzies
My parents would tie a pork chop around my neck so the dog would play with me.
A little off topic but this thread reminds me of that joke.
Now that there’s funny.
I was told that ovulating women are more attractive to Mosquitos.
My buddy says the mosquitos in Montana are so big they can stand flat footed and screw a turkey.
My late mother would just step out the door for 15 seconds and be bitten from head to toe. I could be outside for hours and not one bite. Dad and brother also had no problems with mosquitos. I thought maybe immunity to mosquitos was hereditary.
No one thing works for all. Do your own research. IMHO
Now however, Dawn blue dish soap does take the itch out faster (for me) .
It does not work on spider bites.
Haven’t tried it on fireant bites, yet.
Thank you for explaining my problem with females jumping me all the time. It is really disturbing.
FMCDH(BITS)
Due to govt. bureaucracy regarding such claims and the need for Govt. studies, it is not advertised as a mosquito repellent..........but IT WORKS!
Cactus Juice was the only thing that "helped" against the sand flies in Honduras during my last two vacations there and we took everything...
All of their products have a pleasant scent
http://youtu.be/XZubL4mZ5n0
One year, in the line of duty on my job, I got 40 mosquito bites on my face. What a mess. But for almost 10 years after, I was totally immune. They bit but produced absolutely no swelling or itch....except they died!! Heh heh
That's by Avon and it makes you smell like a real cheap whore.........
Used it once for a golf outing and I was laughed off the course...........
Looks like the old folks are at the helm.
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