Community Corner

The Laws of Mosquito Attraction

Many people say they feel like mosquitoes especially like to bite them; turns out, they might be right.

To attract females, consider a cologne that's tinged with Limburger cheese. Female mosquitoes, that is.

Humans have 300 to 400 distinct chemical smells they emit and, since the 1990s, scientists have been hard at work trying to decipher which of those are alluring to female mosquitoes, the only members of the species that bite. So is the old adage correct- that some people are sweeter to skeeters? 

"The answer to that question is true," said Dr. Roger Wolfe of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection's mosquito management program. "Some people are more attractive than others."

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Medical entomologist Dr. Theodore Andreadis, also affiliated with the state's mosquito management program, echoed Wolfe's assertion and said there is one thing in particular that mosquitoes seem to like.

"There's no question that there's a whole host of chemicals that mosquitoes are attracted to," Andreadis said. "The single most attractive chemical is carbon dioxide."

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Female mosquitoes bite because they need the oxygen-rich blood to produce fertile eggs. Their attraction to CO2 is a means of selecting the fittest targets.

The first person to study mosquitoes' favorite scents was chemist Ulrich Bernier, who worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's agriculture research center. In 1992, Bernier's research determined that, in addition to CO2, mosquitoes are lured by lactic acid.

More recently, an article in the Wall Street Journal reported that scientists at the Rothamsted Research Center in the U.K had identified seven to eight specific chemicals that entice the insects. These included both palatable and pungent aromas, like 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, a skin-derived compound that has the smell of "a toned-down nail polish remover." Geranylacetone, meanwhile, has a pleasant odor while still repelling the insects, though there is "some question about whether it is formed by human biochemical processes or picked up in the environment."

This research is particularly important because, if successful, it might enable scientists to synthesize the individual chemicals responsible for the smells and, from them, make an all-natural mosquito repellent that would be especially effective and safe.

Wolfe and Andreadis said there is no work on scent-based mosquito attractants being done at present in Connecticut. Yet both were familiar with not only scent-attractants, but other alluring human qualities, as well.

"Body chemistry, metabolism...generally, it's about body chemistry," Wolfe said. "There is some talk on perfumes and hairsprays and such. They're attracted to heat sources, as well, as they have infrared vision."

And Limburger cheese. And feet.

2000 article in Agricultural Research Magazine talked of entomologist Daniel Kline's experiment in which he wore a pair of socks for 12 hours a day for three straight days. Afterward, he exposed them to mosquitoes and found them strongly attracted to the scent. 

Interestingly, Kline also discovered that mosquitoes liked Limburger cheese. A reason for that? The same bacterium responsible for the smell can be found on both the cheese and human feet.

The Environmental Protection Agency lists DEET as the most effective mosquito repellent ingredient, likely because the chemical is able to mask other attractive smells humans emit and scare the insects away. But its use has also been linked to cancer and Gulf War syndrome.

The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) reminds homeowners to read package labels and follow directions carefully when applying pesticides around their homes and gardens.

As an alternative, consider using these more natural deterrents, :

  • Use yellow bug lights outside; white light attracts more insects.
  • Plug in a fan outside and sit nearby – mosquitoes do not like moving air. 
  • Try an ultrasonic electronic device. New ones on the market have a mini-fan, which goes back to the last point, plus a citronella-based scent, which goes to the next. One of my nephews tried a clip-on version and swore by it; I tried the same one and it didn’t seem to work.
  • Mosquitoes, unlike us humans, dislike some of the most charming of fragrances – rosemary, sage, cinnamon, lavender, and peppermint. They also are known to abhor catnip, apple cider, soy oil, parsley, basil, thyme, allspice, garlic, chrysanthemum, and geranium. They also are known to avoid the combination of thymol, eucalyptol, methyl salicilate, and menthol we all know as the mouthwash Listerine. Some of these you may wish to plant or wear, or either place on a platter on a nearby table, or spray in liquid form around your deck or yard. 


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