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July 10, 2017

Bug Bait

18 Comments/ 29/ 3

It’s a fact.

I am bug bait.

No matter what I do it seems that I attract all of the biting bugs.

Just when I think I am safe …they bite.

Currently I have bites on my ankles and arms.  I don’t know how it happens.  It just does.

Bugs appear out of nowhere and feast on me.

Chris can be sitting right next to me and yet he remains unbitten.

I have an arsenal of sprays, candles, plants and even little smokey sticks to light and yet they still somehow manage to find their way to my flesh.

I don’t get it.

My brother, Chris, was visiting last week and he apparently has the same issue.  His wife, Shari, is similar to my Chris.  She remains unmarked by the beasts that leave their marks on us.

I can’t figure it out.  So I did a little searching and came up with some facts from TreeHugger.com.  An article on their website offers several reasons why mosquitos in particular are attracted to some and not others.

  1. Did you know that mosquitos are highly visual?  That means they can target their victims.  They prefer dark colors like black, dark blue and red.  Note to self: wear light colored clothing.
  2. Apparently mosquitos prefer certain blood types with type O being the favored of female mosquitos who rely on the protein in  blood to help with egg production.  However I suspect I fall into the category of 85% of folks who are “secreters” .  We send out secretions that are a signal of our blood type to the mosquitos so regardless they zero in on us even if we aren’t O blood types.  Just call me secreter I guess.  Ugh.
  3. Mosquitos can detect gas.  No….not THAT kind of gas.  Carbon dioxide.  When we exhale we are VERY attractive to the pests. According to TreeHugger.com they can detect it up to 160 feet away.
  4. Mosquitos also can smell things like lactic acid, urea and ammonia which are present in our sweat.  They love it.  When we sweat they zero in so maybe the best advice to avoid bites is to not sweat?
  5. Types of bacteria that is found on the skin can attract mosquitos as well. In my case I guess my ankles are ripe with bacteria.  That really grosses me out but I guess I need to practice even better hygiene to avoid the ankle biters.
  6. In one study it was found that mosquitos were more attracted to pregnant women.  While that is not the case in my life (whew) there was also a link to warmth of the body.  With all of the lovely hot flashes that I experience I suspect this might be yet another nail in my coffin when it comes to mosquito bites.
  7. Finally another attractor that does not apply to me is the consumption of beer. Apparently the insects like to sample blood from beer drinking folks.  There is no evidence that was cited that really explained this phenomenon but still it exists. (Read the complete article here.)

So there you have seven possible reasons .  Do you believe these?  Do they make sense to you?

All I know is that none of the methods of preventing insect bites has helped me at all this summer.  I am sure some of my readers have no fail bug bite remedies.  I would love to hear all about them in the comment section.  Let me know if you have any time proven tried and true remedies.  I am ready to try just about anything.  Just about.

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18 Comments

Leave a comment
  1. treadlemusic
    July 10, 2017 at 07:29 am

    No ready solutions for ya, sorry. Tom is more bothered with critters than I, so (thankfully) the bug spray is always near him.

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      July 10, 2017 at 07:33 am

      Chris now has a new pet name for me. “Secreter”. 🙂

      Reply
      1. treadlemusic
        July 10, 2017 at 07:00 pm

        LOL! He is the “creative” one!

        Reply
  2. Darlene
    July 10, 2017 at 08:39 am

    My British hubby gets bit all the time while I, like Chris, seldom do. I was raised in the prairies where bugs and mosquitoes where an everyday thing. He never saw them before coming to Canada. I always said they love his fresh British blood. I love sitting beside him as they flock to him and ignore me. Not sure about all those reasons, Paul dosen´t drink beer often, I seem to think it is random.

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      July 10, 2017 at 03:44 pm

      I agree. Some of the reasons were a little questionable. And I didn’t do a ton of research —just offered up a few ideas. All I know is that I am tired of the bites. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Marci B
    July 10, 2017 at 10:09 am

    I’m like you and Geoff is like Chris. Geoff can sit out on the deck long after the sun has set and never be bitten. I, on the other hand, will be bitten within the 1st 10 minutes. Hence, I’m in the living room…..

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      July 10, 2017 at 03:43 pm

      I hate it. I really do. I had some really good spray I got once from a brand to blog about and I can’t find it anywhere. It seemed to work, at least in Iowa on the Iowa skeeters!

      Reply
  4. Julie
    July 10, 2017 at 10:21 am

    I’m a “secreter” too. If I’m outside for 15 minutes,I come in with three bites. :((

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      July 10, 2017 at 03:42 pm

      It is my new nickname. Secreter. I would prefer something different. 🙂

      Reply
  5. Minnesota Prairie Roots
    July 10, 2017 at 12:10 pm

    I, too, am a bug magnet. If Randy and I are sitting together outside, they bite me, not him. Last week I had about a dozen mysterious red bites appear on my upper right thigh. Yes, they itched some. I have no idea what bit me as I was wearing capris.

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      July 10, 2017 at 03:42 pm

      I think maybe it is because we are sweet. That’s my story and I am sticking to it. 🙂

      Reply
  6. Josh
    July 10, 2017 at 01:30 pm

    I have the same problem. Especially in the south. I had no idea how many insects/spiders there would be here.

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      July 10, 2017 at 03:41 pm

      We get our house sprayed regularly here–never have done that anywhere else except when we lived in Florida. We have HUGE spiders, mostly Daddy Long Legs, but I just am sure that there has to be something for mosquitoes that would help. I look like a bit blotchy with all of my bites.

      Reply
  7. Under the Oaks
    July 10, 2017 at 03:15 pm

    I feel your pain… er, itch. We were with friends and talked about this yesterday. I am bug bait, too. I found out that my bites are most likely chiggers rather than skeeters. Both chiggers and skeeters have been relentless in their pursuit of me this summer. CH has hardly been bothered. I think the blood thinners I take makes getting my blood much easier for them. My hope is that the 3 meds I take for my heart makes them explode in mid-air! Interesting skeeter facts, Beth Ann!

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      July 10, 2017 at 03:40 pm

      I am giggling over mosquitos exploding in mid air! I agree. I am just sick of the bites and wonder why we have to deal with such pesky creatures!

      Reply
  8. dawnkinster
    July 11, 2017 at 08:42 am

    I just got back from Alabama last night with my regular selection of chigger bites. Actually more than normal, as I was there 10 days. So the original bites have faded but the more recent ones still itch and are large pink welts Sigh. My sister (who lives in GA) and brother from AL didn’t get bit at all…and we spent all 10 days together. So…why me? I think the bugs like new fresh meat. Sigh.

    Reply
  9. Jeni / JeniEats (@JeniEats)
    July 12, 2017 at 07:14 am

    I didn’t know all of these things. I get bit a lot too by mosquitoes. At least they all die in the winter.

    Reply
  10. Foggy Brain - It's A Real Thing - It's Just Life
    August 04, 2017 at 06:00 am

    […] Chris and I had flown into Asheville and on the way home I asked him to stop at Ingles so I could pop in and get some cream for my many mosquito bites.  Remember that I am a “secreter” and have a myriad of bites on my legs and arms at any time.  This is  where I wrote about this syndrome. […]

    Reply

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