This Is Why Mosquitoes Bite Some People and Don’t Touch Others!
Mosquitoes are nasty, irritating insects whose presence can easily ruin an otherwise perfect time. The way they buzz and swarm all around, waiting to land on some warm body to bite, is enough to drive anyone insane. The worst part about the pesky blood suckers are the diseases they carry, which they transmit straight into your body and bloodstream when they bite!
Every year worldwide almost 700 million people end up contracting a mosquito borne illness resulting in over a million deaths. That number keeps growing and the scary fact is what makes them the #1 killer of humans.
The current ongoing public health crisis surrounding the Zika Virus, which is spread by mosquitoes, is causing all sorts of health issues. It’s only the latest international health threat that’s related directly to mosquito bites and it’s in good company.
Many diseases are spread mainly or exclusively by mosquitoes including malaria, dengue, encephalitis, West Nile virus, and more. While it’s best to avoid the flying terrors all together, that’s basically impossible because if they want to bite you they will, or die trying.
One way to lessen the amount of bites is knowing what attracts skeeters in the first place. Basically, it depends on how you smell and since mosquitoes have excellent scent receptors in their antennae, they can smell any human within 100 feet easily.
Unfortunately, it also comes down to genetics and 85% of the reason why mosquitoes prefer some people over others is due to their genetic makeup. Here are some of the main factors that make someone a mosquito bite magnet:
1) Exercise and Lactic Acid Production- The sweatier and smellier a person in the more attractive they are to a mosquito. Individuals who produce more lactic acid, which is emitted from our bodies via sweat glands, will draw in more of the pests to their general vicinity. Also, the more perspiration and the older it is, the greater the buildup of lactic acid, meaning your a tasty meal.
Research has proven that fresh sweat isn’t as attractive to a mosquito as day old sweat appears to be, so taking a shower after working hard or exercising can make a huge difference on how many bites you’ll end up getting.
2) Bacteria- Our skin is literally crawling with bacteria and it’s estimated that the average human has about one trillion or so bacteria on their body. The types of bacteria living on our skin can vary greatly from person to person and some varieties affect how much an individual gets bit by mosquitoes.
For example, it has been found that if someone has Staphylococcus and Variovorax present on their skin, they’ll likely suffer more mosquito problems. The opposite is also true, other types of bacteria act to make our skin less attractive to mosquitoes. A few of those types of bacteria include Pseudomonas, Delftia, and Actinobacteria. You definitely want those crawling on your body!
3) Blood Type- The type of blood you have coursing through your veins factors greatly into the risk of whether or not you’ll end up suffering from more bites than others. Studies have found that people with Type O blood are bitten most often, followed by Type B, then Type A. In fact, Type O’s are so appealing to mosquitoes that they’re twice as likely to suffer bites than Type A.
In addition, if you happen to be among the estimated 85% of people who emit a certain chemical that gives away your blood type through your skin then mosquitoes will bite you long before they bite those who lack that chemical. It’s as if the pesky insects like to know exactly what type of blood they’ll be sucking, eek!
4) Carbon Dioxide- Even just breathing is enough to attract mosquitoes because they are drawn to the CO2 you exhale. Individuals who produce more CO2 get bit more frequently, thus pregnant women and heavy-set people who tend to breathe heavier need to take extra precautions to keep from getting bit. Another factor in relation to carbon monoxide is that beer drinkers have been found to get bit more frequently because they too breathe more heavily when under the influence of a few beers.
While people commonly use bug zappers, horrible smelling chemical repellents, and mosquito nets to try and combat the pests, they’re mostly ineffective or plain gross. Fortunately, there’s an easy and highly effective way to keep your surroundings mosquito-free. This video shows how to make a trap to catch the suckers using old soda bottles. It takes just a few seconds and you can make a bunch of them for less than a couple of bucks.
Take a 2 liter soda bottle and carefully cut a third of the top part off it with a serrated knife. Place ¼ cup of brown sugar, 1 cup warm water, and ¼ teaspoon of yeast in the bottom two thirds portion of the cut soda bottle. Place the top of the soda bottle upside down into the bottom half of the bottle and make sure the cap is off and that it fits tight and snug all around the sides. Place the soda bottle trap outside near wherever you plan on sitting and let it do its magic.
Mosquitoes will be attracted to the brown sugar and yeast mixture and won’t be able to resist the sweet, sticky aroma it puts off. When they fly down inside the bottle they become trapped and can’t escape, leaving you with a comfortable, relaxing, mosquito-free atmosphere to enjoy and kick back in. Check it out, the video is definitely worth a one minute view!
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If You Mix These 4 Natural Ingredients To Make THIS You Will Get Rid Of All Mosquitoes For Good!
There is so much that is wonderful about spring and summer…just the sheer freedom of being outdoors, unencumbered by heavy clothing, swimming, barbecuing, picnics…I could go on and on. Not only do we create new happy summer memories, but so many of the highlights of our lives come back to us when we think about summers past.
I myself, love gardening and sunshine, but my husband loves sitting outside on a summer night under the stars. Sounds good, right? Unfortunately for both of us, I am one of those people whom mosquitoes are attracted to, and they completely leave him alone. I’ve tried citronella candles, and ultimately submit to lathering myself in chemicals that repel them, but doing that seriously BUGS ME! I don’t like putting chemicals on my skin, so it kind of takes the joy out of the peaceful summer night under the stars.
When I came upon this really easy DIY for an all-natural mason jar bug repellant, I was intrigued because it contained all the scents I love, and claimed that for some reason this combination is abhorrent to mosquitoes. Since I had all the ingredients in my house already: MASON JARS, LEMONS, LIMES, WATER, FRESH ROSEMARY, LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL and TEA CANDLES…I figured it was worth giving it a try. I made three of them and sat outside in the evening several times this week and it worked!!!
Watch the video below, for exact instructions on how to make these. Not only do they look lovely, but the scent they give off is pure freshness, and the bugs detest the smell! This works great for any summertime outdoor activity where you are “Bugged by Bugs”, and it is a great natural way to make outdoor living a pleasure.
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Do You Hate Mosquitos? This Easy Trick Will Stop Them From Ruining Your Entire Year!
Mosquitoes are nasty and highly irritating bugs that can ruin an otherwise perfect time. The way they buzz and swarm around, waiting to land on someones warm skin to bite, is enough to drive anyone insane.
The pesky blood suckers are carriers of a number of diseases that they can transmit straight into your body when they bite. In fact, every year almost 700 million people world-wide end up contracting a mosquito borne illness, resulting in over a million deaths. This scary fact makes them the number one killers of humans.
While it’s best to avoid them all together, that is basically impossible. People commonly use bug zappers, horrible smelling chemical repellents, and mosquito nets to try and combat the pests.
Fortunately, there is an easier and highly effective way to keep surroundings mosquito-free, and this video shows how to make a trap to catch the suckers. It takes just seconds to make, uses old soda bottles, and you can make a bunch of them for less than a couple of bucks.
Take a 2 liter soda bottle and carefully cut a third of the top part off it. Use a serrated knife to do this, it will cut through the plastic quicker and smoother and won’t slip around as much as other knives tend to do on plastic. Place a ¼ cup of brown sugar, one cup of warm water, and ¼ teaspoon of yeast in the bottom two thirds portion of the cut soda bottle.
Place the top of the soda bottle upside down into the bottom half of the bottle. Make sure that the cap is off and that it fits tight and snug all around the sides. Then place the soda bottle trap outside near where you plan on sitting and let it do its magic. The mosquitoes will be attracted to the brown sugar and yeast mixture and won’t be able to resist the sweet, sticky aroma it puts off.
When they fly down inside the bottle they become trapped inside and cannot escape. The result leaves you with a comfortable, relaxing, mosquito-free atmosphere to enjoy and kick back in. Check it out, the video is definitely worth a one minute view!
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Make Your Own Organic Bug Spray With Two Simple Ingredients You Already Have. Glad I Learned THIS
With the warm weather and sunshine people are heading outside and spending more time enjoying the great outdoors. Unfortunately, this time of year is also when pesky mosquitoes come out in droves looking for blood. While bites can be annoying, itchy and uncomfortable, they can also be dangerous and transfer diseases or cause severe skin irritation in some people. Store bought repellants usually smell disgusting and are chock full of harsh chemicals.
Fortunately, there is a natural and organic alternative for keeping the bugs away that you can make in your kitchen. This simple 2 ingredient recipe for the homemade repellant was shared by YouTube user Colorful Canary. In her tutorial on how to make it she starts by placing 1 teaspoon of fresh parsley in her mortar and pours 4 ounces of apple cider vinegar over it.
Then, she takes the pestle and grinds it together, macerating the two ingredients until they are well blended. It is preferred that you use fresh parsley for this, but if you only have dried on hand that will work as well. Once it has been finely ground together allow it to sit for at least 30 minutes or you can let it sit longer overnight. All that is left to do is strain out the liquid into a small spray bottle and you’re done! You may also add essential oils to make it smell more to your liking, but stay away from citrus based ones because they tend to make skin more sensitive to the sun.
Even without essential oils the vinegary smell will fade and become unnoticeable when it’s spritzed onto skin and dries. The non-toxic formula can be sprayed anywhere on your body, skin, on clothes, and even in hair. While is works best for naturally repelling mosquitoes it also keeps black fly’s at bay. It is also beneficial for skin because it can help heal and prevent sunburns. Toss a small spray bottle in your bag so you’ll always be safe and covered when headed outside. It will make summer all the more enjoyable without having to slap at swarming mosquitoes or itching any bites.
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Scientists Say This New All Natural Non-Toxic Mixture Will Stop Mosquitoes From Biting You This Year
image via – shutterstock.com
More people are heading outside now that the weather is getting warmer, sunnier, and more pleasant. Springtime means that the birds are returning to their summer homes and the bugs are starting to come out in full force. Unfortunately, this also means that pesky mosquitoes are coming out in droves and they’re all looking for fresh blood. The way they swarm and buzz in enough to drive anyone crazy and their bites are just downright itchy and uncomfortable.
However, the worst thing they care capable of is spreading dangerous, sometimes even deadly, diseases. One bite is all it takes for a mosquito to transfer a virus to a person and many people end up with severe infections like malaria, Zika Virus, Chikunhunya, West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Yellow Fever, and more.
While chemical sprays and store bought repellents do work to a degree, they usually smell disgusting and are packed full of harsh, toxic ingredients that can irritate skin and cause difficulty breathing. A good rule of thumb is that you should try to avoid spraying DEET on yourself if possible, and fortunately there is a natural alternative you can use to keep mosquitoes away. It’s simple, gentle, and smells good, plus it’s effective and you can make it right in your own kitchen.
The simple 3 ingredient recipe for the homemade repellent was shared by YouTube channel HouseholdHacker in the accompanying video. Their tutorial on how to make it is informative and easy to follow so be sure to check it out. Here is a list of what you’ll need and steps on how to make it:
Ingredients:
– 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
– 30 drops of lemon-eucalyptus oil
– 4 ounces of either rubbing alcohol, witch hazel, or vodka
Instructions:
1. Measure out each ingredient
2. Mix them all together
3. Transfer into a small spray bottle
4. Spray on yourself before going outside and reapply every 4 hours as needed
This non-toxic formula can be sprayed anywhere on your body, skin, on clothing, and even in hair. For that last ingredient listed above, witch hazel is preferred because it’s the least harsh on skin and won’t dry it out like alcohol-based ones tend to. Mix up a few bottle of the repellent so you can toss one in your car or bag, that way you’ll always be safe and covered wherever you go.
In the end, this natural spray will definitely make summer much more enjoyable. You won’t have to constantly be slapping at mosquitoes or itching bites, and that makes it worthy of your time and attention so try it out and see how you like it!
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