Science

Why Do Mosquitoes Bite Some People More Than Others?

Scientific research has shown that mosquitoes bite some people more than others for several reasons, including the smells that those people give off, the chemicals on those people's skin and even how much carbon dioxide they emit while breathing. Experts estimate that mosquitoes are highly attracted to about 10 percent of all people, with those people's genetics accounting for about 85 percent of their attractiveness to mosquitoes. Other research suggests that people who are less attractive to mosquitoes emit smells and chemicals that repel the insects. As of 2012, there still was much that was not known about why mosquitoes bite some people more than others and what the people who are bitten more can do about it.