Scientists have found that mosquitoes respond to human body odor and bite more than those that emit carboxylic acids.
Scientists have found that mosquitoes respond to human body odor and can find a person whose "scent" they like from a distance of 100 meters.
The statement is based on a study of the behavior of African malaria mosquitoes Anopheles gambiae. They were released into an area the size of an ice rink in Zambia.
The scientists then monitored the insects to see how often they landed on evenly spaced pads soaked in human scent and heated to 35° C. If a mosquito sat on a pad, it indicated it was ready for a bite.
As a result, it turned out that mosquitoes are practically not interested in specific odors. But those people who emitted more carboxylic acids produced by skin microbes were strongly attracted to the insects. Also thanks to the study, scientists found that mosquitoes enter homes on the smell of human skin between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., The Sun writes.