Each time I use the computer; it’s agony! Mosquitoes will lay siege on my legs before I could even start up the pc. Somehow, if there are a 100 people in a room, mosquitoes would still prefer my and only my blood. And the other 99? Well, they would not have to deal with too many mosquito problems. You could say that I can be pretty handy at parties. Or if you are a much nicer person, you could feel sorry for me and my huge puffy lumpy skin.
They seem hard to avoid, and you’re never sure where they’ll be or how many of them will be around. But they assault your body, and you can only get rid of hundreds of them a night and still have that particular one which gets through.
So, naturally I needed to find out why these pesky pests keep bugging me and what makes my blood taste like a smorgasbord to them.
According to experts (both mosquitoes-approved and mosquitoes-less-approved), mosquitoes are attracted to lactic acid in sweat and to carbon dioxide. This would explain why mosquitoes are mostly hovering under your table, where your sweaty feet are. Dang! And I thought mosquitoes have smartened up by attacking us from where we can’t see. I guess I would need to use Vape coils from now on. OR… baits traps with dry ice (solidified carbon dioxide). Simple candle or incense which will mask the aroma will do just fine.
Oh, and you probably already deduced by now that I sweat easily. Lactic acid is also released when certain foods high in salt or potassium are consumed. SO… no bananas if you plan on going camping in the jungle. That’s the worse thing you could do to yourself.
Mosquitoes are also attracted to sweet smells including perfume, hair oil and deodorant. They also are attracted to dark clothing. So, we should have none of these from dusk to dawn, if we don’t want to get bitten. You know, this could be why Asians (Black hair! Not trying to be racist!) and Goths are often on mosquitoes’ menu. But if you are neither an Asian or a Goth or an Asian Goth, and you still think that mosquitoes go vampire over you more than everyone else, you could be right. This may be due to the fact that mosquitoes-less-approved (MLA) people secrete a natural repellent that your (mosquitoes-approved (MA)) body doesn’t make.
But, even if you think you’re less attractive to the opposite species (the 99 others); mosquitoes will never leave you completely alone. If you want to really turn them off, an insect repellent containing DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) comes in handy.
Maybe in the future, there could be a pill you could pop to appear ‘invisible’ to mosquitoes… Makes you wonder…
References:
1. RedOrbit - Experts Say Mosquitoes Prefer Sweet Smells - http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/76609/experts_say_mosquitoes_prefer_sweet_smells/index.html, 23/07/2009
2. Dr. Dream – Health Blogs – 8 Tips for Protection Against Mosquitoes - http://drdreams.com/eight-tips-for-protection-against-mosquitoes/, 23/07/2009
3. Jacquelyn Rudis - True or False: Mosquitoes Are Attracted to Some People More Than Others - http://healthlibrary.epnet.com/GetContent.aspx?token=c5987b1e-add7-403a-b817-b3efe6109265&chunkiid=156994, 23/07/2009
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