Are some people more 'attractive' to mosquitos? If so, is that a hereditary trait?

Question

Mosquitos clearly love me-- but I have been told I am just more reactive to mosquito bites. Are some people more 'attractive' to mosquitos (get bit more)? Or is it just that they are more reactive? If it is an 'attractive' trait-- is this hereditary?

Answer 1

Individual factors that influence mosquito preference for certain people include blood type (depends on the species of mosquito). About 85% of people secrete a chemical signal through their skin that indicates their blood type, while the other 15% do not. Mosquitos generally are more attracted to secretors. Other factors include sweat, body temperature, carbon dioxide (in general, the larger you are, thhe more CO2 you will emit), the presence of certain types of skin bacteria, wearing colors that stand out (mosquitos locate us with vision), metabolism (having recently exercised or having a high resting metabolism), and other genetic factors such as those that influence how much uric acid and other natural substances we emit.