Good Lifestyle

While you are heading outside this summer, it is important to protect yourself against annoying pests - In particular mosquitoes, whose bites can persist for days in the form of itching and red Welts. To avoid this common nuisance , you may want to consider Why These insects find you attractive. And one of the reasons is that some soaps and perfumes attract mosquitoes.

There are several ways whose mosquitoes locate their hosts, and many of them boil down to the natural signals that your body sends, explains Mo Samir , a main technician for the United Kingdom based company Bugwise pest control. These may include subtle factors which are often undetectable for people, such as lactic acid production (a by-product of physical activity when you sweat), carbon dioxide that you exhale, certain bacteria on the skin and body heat changes.

However, studies show that in addition to these natural factors, there are also a handful of soaps or perfumes that can bring mosquitoes together. Read the rest to find out which in Nix, so that you can make the most of your time spent outside.

Read this then: 4 soaps and perfumes that repel mosquitoes, say the experts .

4 soaps and perfumes that attract mosquitoes

1. Floral soaps and scents

Cleaning your natural sweat scent with soap can help reduce your probability of mosquito bites, but soaps and flavored scents can have the opposite, according to experts.

In fact, a May 2023 study Led by researchers from Virginia Tech noted that soaps can indeed change the attraction of mosquitoes and that fruity soaps were among the most attractive for pests.

"Everyone feels different, even after applying soap; your physiological status, the way you live, what you eat and the places you will all affect the way you feel," said Chloé Lahondère , biochemist and co-author of the study, via Press release . "The soaps considerably change the way we feel, not only by adding chemicals, but also by causing variations in the emission of compounds that we already produce naturally."

Vincent Luca , Owner of Control of pests on demand , also explains the reason for this attraction: "Mosquitoes are naturally inclined to seek sources of nectar, which is abundant in flowers. Consequently, when humans use scented products that imitate these floral aromas, mosquitoes are deceived To believe that there is a potential source of food nearby. "

2. Beer

According to a 2002 study published in the Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association ,, drink beer was linked to a higher rate of mosquito bites.

The study has shown that mosquitoes landed on volunteers at an increased rate "after ingestion of beer compared to ingestion before ingestion, clearly showing that alcohol consumption stimulates the attraction of mosquitoes ".

While some scientists speculate that it could be because alcohol consumption increases its body temperature, others point out that it also makes you sweat more, which makes your perfume easier to find.

Grayson Brown , Director of the Public Health Entomology Laboratory of the Entomology Department of the University of Kentucky, says that there is another reason why beer could attract mosquitoes.

"CO2 comes beer When it is open. C02 will attract mosquitoes that feed mainly on mammals, "he said CBS News In 2016, adding that mosquitoes can detect the smell up to 100 feet distance.

Read this then: 5 plants that will keep mosquitoes out of your courtyard, according to pest experts .

3. Sonaps with high pH levels

When experts talk about the pH of your skin or potential hydrogen, they refer to a single scale that measures the level of acidity on the surface of your skin. Healthy skin will usually have a PH level between four and seven . AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

However, "the use of more alkaline soap or lotion (higher pH) can modify the pH of the skin, which makes it more attractive for mosquitoes", explains A.H David Since Control of weekly pests . "The soaps with a higher pH can disturb the acid coat of the skin, potentially leading to a proliferation of bacteria, and thus increase attractiveness for mosquitoes."

4. Odor of "stinking cheese"

In a May 2023 study published in the journal Current biology , a group of researchers compared mosquitoes' Smell Through different humans to determine which perfumes attracted them the most.

To conduct their study, the researchers created a projected arena surrounded by six protected tents where the study participants slept. Using long tubes, they pumped the air of the tents in the arena on absorbent pads which had also been bait with carbon dioxide. The team then used infrared cameras to follow mosquito preferences.

The team concluded that the smell to which the mosquitoes were the most attracted was that of carboxylic acid, a compound found in stinking cheeses such as the limburger. These same carboxylic acids are produced naturally in human skin, although we probably do not detect the fragrance ourselves.

For more health and well-being advice sent directly to your reception box, Register for our daily newsletter .

Here's how to challenge mosquitoes, say the experts.

Virginia Tech's study revealed that even if the soaps with perfect flowers were the most likely to attract mosquitoes, soaps flavored with coconuts were the most likely to repel them.

"I would choose a soap flavored with coconut if I wanted to reduce the attraction of mosquitoes," said Clément Vanauger , a main author of the study, via the press release.

You could also consider the soap brand you buy. "Washing with dove and simple truth increased the attractiveness of certain volunteers (but not all), while washing with native soap tended to repel mosquitoes," said the study.

However, while being aware of soaps and perfumes can help reduce the probability of mosquitoes to bite, experts say that you should also plan to use an effective repellent, especially if you are located in an area where mosquitoes carry serious illnesses .

"If you try to avoid being bitten, the best thing you can do is use a repellent that contains deet, picaridine or lemon eucalyptus oil," said Samir. "These are the most effective mosquito repellents according to the centers for Disease Control and Prevention."