Mosquito magnet? Study reveals why some people attract more bites | Technology News

3 min readJun 19, 2026 10:12 AM
First published on: Jun 18, 2026 at 07:30 AM

Researchers are uncovering why some people seem to be mosquito magnets, while others escape relatively unscathed. The answer, they say, lies in a complex mix of body odour, heat, carbon dioxide emissions, and skin chemry that makes certain individuals more appealing to the insects.
Scients say mosquitoes, particularly females (which are the only ones that bite), use a range of sensory cues to locate their next meal.
Frederic Simard, a medical entomolog at France’s Institute of Research for Development, told AFP that mosquitoes are indeed attracted to some people more than others, although that attraction can vary over time.
One of the strongest signals is carbon dioxide.
Swedish researcher Rickard Ignell explained that mosquitoes can detect the gas humans exhale from up to 100 meters away. As they get closer, they begin sensing body odours, temperature, and humidity, which help them identify the most attractive target, Ignell told AFP.
Recent research led Ignell focused on Aedes aegypti, the mosquito species responsible for spreading diseases such as dengue and yellow fever. In laboratory experiments involving 42 women, researchers found that mosquitoes were particularly attracted to people who produced higher levels of certain odour compounds released the skin.

One compound stood out: 1-octen-3-ol, often called “mushroom alcohol.” It is produced when skin oils break down and appears to significantly increase a person’s attractiveness to mosquitoes. Even small increases in this chemical were enough to influence mosquito behaviour.
Beer is a cause
Another surprising factor is alcohol consumption. Several studies have linked beer drinking to increased mosquito attraction. Researchers believe this happens because alcohol can raise body temperature, increase carbon dioxide production and alter skin odour.
In one study conducted in Burkina Faso, malaria-carrying Anopheles mosquitoes were more attracted to people who had consumed beer than those who had only drunk water. A separate study in the Netherlands found that participants who had consumed beer within the previous 24 hours were 35 per cent more attractive to mosquitoes.
The findings also challenge some long-standing beliefs. Contrary to popular claims, scients say there is little evidence that mosquitoes prefer specific blood types. Similarly, skin, eye, and hair colour do not appear to play a significant role in determining who is most often bitten.
Precautions to follow
Understanding mosquito preferences is becoming increasingly important as climate change expands the range of disease-carrying mosquito species into new regions. Scients warn that illnesses such as dengue, chikungunya, and malaria could affect larger populations as temperatures rise.
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While researchers continue investigating the science behind mosquito attraction, experts recommend simple precautions to reduce bites. Wearing loose-fitting clothing that covers exposed skin, using mosquito repellent, sleeping under a mosquito net, and limiting alcohol consumption can all help lower the chances of becoming a mosquito’s next target.
For now, scients say your body’s natural chemry may play a bigger role in mosquito attraction than anything else, meaning some people really are more tempting targets than others.