If you are the one at the cookout who gets eaten alive while everyone else is fine, it is not your imagination. Mosquitoes hunt with a specific set of senses, and some people simply give off more of what they are looking for. Here is what actually attracts mosquitoes, in the order they use it.

1. Carbon dioxide

A mosquito can detect the carbon dioxide you exhale from more than 30 feet away. That is how it finds a warm blooded animal in the first place. Larger people, pregnant women and anyone exercising breathe out more of it, which is why they get found first.

2. Body heat and sweat

Once close, mosquitoes home in on warmth and on the lactic acid, ammonia and other compounds in sweat. A hot Florida evening after yard work is exactly the profile they want.

3. Skin bacteria and blood type

The mix of bacteria living on your skin changes how you smell to a mosquito. Studies have also found people with type O blood get bitten more often than type A. You cannot change either, but it explains why bites are never spread evenly across a family.

4. Dark clothing

Mosquitoes see dark shapes against the sky better than light ones. Navy, black and dark green attract more attention than white or khaki. It is a small effect, but it is free to change.

5. Alcohol and fragrance

Drinking beer has been shown to increase mosquito landings, probably through changes in body temperature and breath. Floral perfumes, scented lotions and some sunscreens also draw them in.

Are mosquitoes attracted to weed?

We get this question a lot, partly because of our company name. Mosquitoes are not attracted to marijuana smoke or the smell of the plant. What they are attracted to is the person standing outside at dusk, breathing out carbon dioxide and warm from the day. The setting draws them, not the smoke. Actual weeds in the yard are a different story: tall grass and dense weeds hold moisture and shade, which is where adult mosquitoes rest during the heat of the day.

What attracts them to your yard

Adults rest in shade and breed in standing water. In Pinellas County that means plant saucers, clogged gutters, bird baths, kids’ toys, tarps, bromeliads and the low spot in the lawn that never dries. A bottle cap of water is enough for a batch of eggs.

How to make yourself and your yard less attractive

• Empty anything that holds water once a week, and flush bromeliads with a hose.
• Keep grass cut and weeds down so adults have nowhere to rest.
• Wear light colors and an EPA registered repellent at dawn and dusk.
• Run a fan on the patio. Mosquitoes are weak fliers and a steady breeze keeps them off you.
• Have the yard treated during the wet season. A barrier treatment on shrubs and shaded areas cuts the adult population where they rest.

Uprooted Weed and Pest Control offers monthly mosquito programs across Dunedin, Clearwater, Largo, Palm Harbor and Tarpon Springs. If your yard is unusable after 6 pm, that is the call to make.

Related reading

• At what temperature do mosquitoes die
• What Is Used for Mosquito Control? Products and Methods Explained
• What Chemical Kills Fleas and Their Eggs?