There’s nothing worse than when a lovely summer evening is ruined by a swarm of mosquitoes, determined to feed themselves. The defenses used against mosquitoes often remain mediocre, and the losses recorded difficult, as shown by the hundreds of stings. This pest is unfortunately part of the summer ritual, especially near the wetlands. However, the fight is not completely lost, and winning the battle begins with identifying your enemy. Here is everything you need to know about mosquito bites, how to protect yourself, and how to relieve them.
Collecting mosquito bites is not so surprising as it may seem. If “mosquito skin” really does not exist, several factors have nevertheless been identified by researchers as attraction incitements for mosquitoes. Among them is the CO2 released by breathing and perspiration, which mosquitoes can detect up to 50 meters away. Pregnant women emit 21% more C02, according to a study published by scientist Roger Dobson in 2000 in the British Medical Journal. Excess weight, alcohol or intensive sport can also increase the potential for bites, as factors directly correlated with increased heart rate and body heat, therefore generating more CO2.
Another irritating factor is blood type. O-types are much more favored by mosquitoes, “landing twice as much on people with blood group O as those with blood group A, which in turn attract them more than people with blood group B,” according to a study carried out by doctor Yoshikazu Shirai for the Oxford Journal of Medical Entomology in 2004.
Finally, body odor (especially sweat) adds to the mosquito frenzy. Unique, it will depend on both the genes and the bacteria present on the skin (what is called “the microbial fingerprint”), and can therefore more or less encourage the appetite of mosquitoes. It then becomes difficult to fight against one’s own genetic heritage or microbiome.
If you’re considered a “mosquito magnet”, then it becomes difficult to prevent the bite. Nonetheless, you have multiple options to try to anticipate an attack: fan (mosquitoes hate moving air), mosquito net, mosquito repellent spray and coils are timeless basics, to which you can add a good shower (to relieve sweat), light-colored clothing (which channels less heat, and therefore produces less body odor), or even coffee grounds to burn, which are extremely effective. Ultimate solution? The use of essential oils, whose effectiveness is still debated among researchers, but whose harmfulness is zero. In which case, a little java citronella, lemon eucalyptus or bourbon geranium in a diffuser will always refresh a habitat.
Of course, if the worst could not be avoided, here are the best ways to soothe the bite, and thus avoid scratching. First step, use an antiseptic solution to prevent the would from becoming infected in case of intense scratching. Then, several variations can prove effective in soothing the itch: applying an ice cube with an anesthetic effect, a dab of aloe vera with anti-inflammatory properties, a drop of lavender essential oil with soothing properties (to be first placed on a handkerchief, the patted, for sensitive skin), or even an “after bite” roll-on already available on the market will relieve the irritation.
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