Researchers have revealed why mosquitoes will feast on individuals who drink alcohol more than those who drink just water. In a report by Time Magazine, entomologist Joseph M. Conlon, a technical advisor to the American Mosquito Control Association gives some of the reasons why mosquitoes bite some set of people and ignore others.
“There is no question that some individuals are more attractive to mosquitoes due to chemicals they secrete from their skin and from their particular skin flora,” Conlon said.
Other experts and researchers revealed more about the biological factors that can turn a person into a mosquito bait.
Times Magazine said according to a PLOS ONE study done in West Africa on men who drank either beer or water revealed that men who consume beer are more of baits to mosquitoes that others who drink water.
A study done in West Africa revealed that men who consume beer are more of baits to mosquitoes that others who drink water. (Medical News Today)
The study further showed that beer consumption consistently increased volunteers’ attractiveness to mosquitoes.
Laura Harrington, PhD, a professor in the department of entomology at Cornell University pointed to another study in Japan on the smell that attracts mosquitoes attention.
The study suggested that mosquitoes are drawn to people who have ingested alcohol.
Another reason is sweat.
According to a report by Healthline, a medical website, alcohol affects the central nervous system, the circulatory system, and virtually every part of your body. Consuming alcohol can increase your heart rate and widen blood vessels in your skin. This can trigger perspiration. Hence, night sweats can also be caused by alcohol withdrawal.
Colon further said lactic acid, a by-product of activity that’s excreted through sweat, is an attractant for mosquitoes. The health expert noted that warmth becomes more attractive as mosquitoes approach a potential host.
