Why Mosquitoes May Like You

Mosquitoes, our disturbing pests come out from hiding and make summer visits each year.  If you’ve got water, they will be there.  At my table, we are talking about Mosquitoes. Why mosquitoes may like you, and what to do about them. 

Mosquito Picnic Invaders

Nothing worse than eating outdoors and the mosquitoes begin to attack you.  Someone may say, “I don’t have a problem with mosquitoes” and others say- “I need to get out of here, they are all over me.”

If you are interested in some summer salad ideas for your picnic, here is your link.

Why is this?  Why Mosquitoes like you?

After reading many articles on what mosquitoes like, this is my quick summary.

• Mosquitoes love wet and water.   If you’ve got still water, like a swamp, wetland, bog, lake, or even an old container/pail with water, they will be there. Mosquitoes will lay their eggs and a bit later you have mosquitoes that hatch. 
• They hang out in the shade and long grassy areas and come out in full force at dusk, and they love you.  I am sure you have waited for the fireworks on the 4^th of July and the mosquitoes found you before you saw the fireworks.
• Let it be known that it is only the female mosquitoes that bite and get your blood.  The females need this blood to hatch the next batch of eggs.   It is all a big cycle.  Male mosquitoes are only needed for breeding and so they live a shorter life. 
• Mosquitoes like people and animals. They really like you if… you are a sweaty person, if you are drinking alcohol, and if you are overweight. Mosquitoes like you and the Carbon dioxide you produce. 
• It all comes down to the scents and smells and high body temperatures.   They have been even known to like certain blood types. 

How to Keep Mosquitoes Away

• Hire a mosquito squad to spray your grassy areas or areas near the woods or water.  They can also find the larvae and treat the larvae to kill them before they even hatch.
• Buy a container of Mosquito Beater which is a granule you can sprinkle near an area in your grass to keep the mosquitoes away.
• Citronella candles and citrus smells keep them away as well as natural plants like lavender and lemon balm.   These are great to plant around your outside dining areas.
• A good old bug zapper will light up to their death in the evening hours if that is your thing. 
• You can wear bug spray and you can keep a clean smell that will keep the mosquitos away. 
• Make a mixture of witch Hazel, Citrus, and Eucalyptus Essential oils to spray on yourself for a natural bug spray.
• I have read reports that if you eat lots of garlic and Vitamin B12 you can keep some of them from biting you. 
• A good old campfire will keep some of them away as the fire is too hot for them and they dislike the smoke.
• Avoid drinking alcohol, and another good reason to lose that extra weight is to keep your CO2 lower. 
• Get Dragonflies and birds to hang out in your backyard and you will have fewer mosquitoes around. They use to love the black-eyed susans in our yard. Link to plants dragonflies like.

Mosquito Facts

• The buzzing sound mosquitoes make comes from their wings flapping up and down. They flap their wings 300 to 600 times per second.  The female mosquito flaps her wings more quickly.
• Male mosquitoes live about 10 days and females live up to 60 days.
• Mosquitoes’ eggs can hatch in three days.
• Dragonflies, fish, lizards, birds, and other water insects eat mosquitoes for food.
• Mosquitoes eat nectar which is a sweet liquid made by plants and flowers, and blood from humans, animals, and birds. The males eat nectar and adult females eat blood.
• When a mosquito bites, it pierces human skin to draw out blood and adds its saliva. The saliva reacts inside the body to cause itchiness and swelling. 

Sources: NationalGeographic.com, LiveScience.com, Insectscience.com, Britanica.com,

Mosquito Zone

Hope you can fight off the mosquitoes this summer.   I for one don’t really have a problem with them.  When I lived in Minnesota they usually only bugged me at night with the buzzing sound and not too many bit me.  I think the desperate ones bit me.  I barely wore any bug spray. They really disliked my A+ blood type and my food intake.

Living in Virginia now- I rarely sight a mosquito, but many here think the mosquitoes are bad.     I hope you learned why Mosquitoes may like you and how to keep them away.