Do you notice that mosquitoes seem to be attracted to certain people? Well, there are factors that can make you more attractive to mosquitoes, such as your choice of clothing and hygiene products. However, this also means that you can change or limit these factors to make you less attractive to mosquitoes too. Here are some things you can do to make yourself less attractive to these bloodsuckers.
Top tips on how to be less attractive to mosquitoes
1. Cover your skin
Mosquitoes use a variety of signals to determine whether the thing in front of them is actually a living being or not. And of course, it’s important to target living beings because they are the ones who have blood. One such signal is sweat, or more specifically, the lactic acid in the sweat on your skin.
If your skin is inaccessible, mosquitoes have less room to operate, making you less of a target for their bloodsucking ways. Covering yourself up is pretty simple. If you are going to an area where there are mosquitoes, simply cover your skin with long-sleeved shirts, pants, socks, and maybe even facemasks and gloves.
2. Wear light-colored clothing
Mosquitoes can’t see as clearly as humans. But they do have some visual cues when looking for living beings. They like certain colors, such as black, orange, and red. This is because these colors emit the same light as animal skin. And this is why wearing clothing materials that are dark and have these colors can make you a mosquito magnet.
To prevent this from happening, wear light-colored clothing instead. Light-colored clothing also keeps you cooler, which is a great additional benefit.
3. Use mosquito repellents
A surefire way to make yourself less attractive to mosquitoes is to apply mosquito repellents. These are commercial products with ingredients that mosquitoes hate. The most traditional ones have ingredients like DEET, picaridin, and permethrin. But there are ones that use more natural ingredients, such as citronella and oil of lemon eucalyptus.
Simply follow the instructions that come with the mosquito repellent of your choice to ensure that you are using it effectively and safely.
4. Keep your body cool
Another signal mosquitoes use is heat. After all, a living being will emit some kind of heat. Logically, you will attract more mosquitoes if you have a higher body temperature. And the opposite is also true — you will attract fewer mosquitoes if you keep yourself cool.
Avoid intense activities that can raise your body temperature. Make your surroundings cool by turning on air conditioners and fans or improving ventilation by opening doors and windows.
5. Getting rid of sweat will make you less attractive to mosquitoes
Mosquitoes can’t rely on a single signal to determine whether something is alive or not. Look at heat, for example. Even stationary objects like rocks emit heat, so it’s not a completely reliable signal for life. A more reliable signal is sweat — and yes, people who sweat more tend to attract more mosquitoes.
The most effective way to get rid of sweat is to take a bath or shower. This is a good tip especially if you want to avoid mosquitoes during your sleep. Humans naturally sweat even if you don’t feel like you did, so you still need to take a bath or shower to remove sweat even if you spent the entire day in your airconditioned office.
6. Avoid intense activities during peak mosquito hours
Intense activities including doing house chores and exercising can make you sweat. And they also raise your body’s temperature, which is another signal mosquitoes use to find you. It’s a good idea to avoid such activities during peak mosquito hours.
Mosquitoes are more active at dusk and nighttime because many species are nocturnal. These time periods also have ideal conditions for mosquitoes to thrive. The generally cool temperature prevents dehydration and the presence of the moon and stars helps them navigate. With that said, there are also some mosquito species that are more active when the sun is out, so you are not completely safe from mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases during dawn and daytime.
7. Don’t wear cologne or perfume as they make you attractive to mosquitoes
More research needs to be conducted, but many are already convinced that fragrances like colognes and perfumes can attract mosquitoes. There are many possible reasons for this. Mosquitoes may be using the fragrances as another signal for life. And the fragrances may be masking ingredients that would repel mosquitoes.
Many also believe that floral and fruity scents are particularly attractive to mosquitoes, as these scents stimulate their brains the same way warm-blooded hosts do. If you are going to an area with a lot of mosquitoes, avoid wearing fragrances, especially those with floral and fruity scents.
8. Avoid scented hygiene products
Fragrances like colognes and perfumes are not the only ones that have scents. Scents are just as abundant in hygiene products, such as body washes, shampoos, soaps, and lotions. And these scents linger on you after you have applied the products. This can make you more attractive to mosquitoes.
Make yourself less attractive to mosquitoes by using unscented hygiene products. Consider your environment too. You may also want to avoid scented candles and the like, especially those with floral and fruity scents.
Prevent mosquitoes from thriving on your property
Be naturally less attractive to mosquitoes by not having mosquitoes around your property in the first place. Get rid of the mosquitoes on your property and prevent them from coming back. Here are some quick tips on how to stop mosquitoes from thriving on your property:
1. Getting rid of standing water
In the wild, mosquitoes thrive in rainforests, swamps, and other wetlands. This is because they use standing water as breeding grounds. Without standing water, mosquitoes will have a difficult time sustaining their populations. There are many standing water sources around your property, such as the craters in your yard, and debris like old tires, and gutters. Make sure to clean them out to prevent them from becoming breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
2. Maintain your external water sources
There are some water sources outside your home that you just can’t get rid of, such as bird baths, flower vases, fountains, garden ponds, rain barrels, and swimming pools. For these sources, just make sure that you replace their water regularly. It’s even better if you can let water run, so it’s not stagnant and ideal for mosquitoes. This is particularly effective for bird baths, fountains, and ponds.
3. Trimming your greenery will make your garden less attractive to mosquitoes
Mosquitoes, especially the nocturnal ones, often hide and rest during the daytime to protect themselves from the heat of the sun and strong winds. They like to hide and rest in greeneries, such as the blades of grass in your yard and the plants in your garden. Make sure to trim vegetation to prevent them from becoming hiding and resting spots for mosquitoes.
You can be less attractive to mosquitoes!
As you have seen there are things that make yourself attractive to mosquitoes — such as wearing dark-colored clothing. But there are also things you can do to stop these bloodsucking creatures from attacking you and from thriving around your property.