They love me. I hate them. I thought I disliked mosquitos this morning, but after doing a little research and having a personal revelation, my dislike has escaladed to hate.Here's a little something you may or may not know:
Only the female of many species of mosquitos is capable of haematophagy (drinking blood). Females do not require blood for survival, but they do need supplemental substances (like protein and iron) to develop eggs. Female mosquitoes hunt their blood host by detecting carbon dioxide (CO2) and 1-octen-3-ol from a distance.
I thought both genders of mosquitoes delighted in drinking my blood. Not so. Only the pesky females do, AND I thought the blood was life saving. WHAT? My blood is only supplemental? Supplemental? Everyone has always told me that mosquitoes like me because my blood is sweet. Why didn't anyone tell me that the reason I get bitten 14 times after applying Deet AND Off is because I put off a pretty powerful Octenol? Such a strong "odor" in fact that the mosquitoes smell right through the chemicals in Deet that are supposed to suppress their receptors?
But don't mind me. I'm just bitter because I have 14 welts on my limbs RIGHT before my big vacation, I itch like crazy, and the worst part? Octenol has been described as "green and moldy or meaty". I smell green and moldy or meaty? I guess I need to start wearing perfume?
So all you female mosquitoes out there with the exception of the genus of Toxorhynchites , I hate you. I really, really hate you.
38 comments:
I've got a bugger (ha!) of a bite on my toe. Holy cow... I could saw the thing off
....itches.....so... bad...
Oh, I'm SOOOO sorry! Mosquitos are miserable.
Oh I'm so sorry they like you too. I can't seem to get rid of them either. Putting a dryer sheet in my pocket does seem to help however. Maybe it could work for you. Have a great vacation.
Fortunately, we don't have many mosquitoes where we live but the few we do have head straight for my 4 year old. I guess he's green and moldy/meaty too!
I have a serious hatred from those little buggars too!! I have about 15 on my body from our river trip. One on my arm may actually be the death of me!!! It not only itches but it down right hurts!!!!
Stupid mosquitos!
♡ I HATE mosquitoes too. Nasty things. Maybe it's just the Carbon dioxide and not the octenol? :)
They've been having a field day with me this summer, too! I read somewhere that they prefer fair people - think there's anything to that?
Wow, that's so interesting.
Sorry your so yummy.
Wow, 14 times with Deet and Off...that's amazing...you must be one moldy smelling chick! And yet, we like you anyway!
Have a great time on your trip!
I'm so pleased it's winter here!
I'm a person that attracts them as well - ankle bites are the most annoying to me
huge bummer! hope those stop itching soon. have you tried the bug bite sticks? i think it's just ammonia in them. to stop the itching.
This post made me laugh in one of those "I feel that pain" kinda ways. Those pests love me as well and when I get to heaven, I am going to ask the mosquito question we all want to know...why???
I hear you! I'm the same way. Everyone else around me won't get bitten, but I end up eaten alive. Go figure. Someone told me once it's the potassium in bananas. and I do like bananas, but not THAT much. LOL. It's a mystery to me!
My daughter Jillian always reacted allergic-ally to bites - so people always asked us if she had chicken pox - yes, it was that bad.
Putting Listerine in a bottle & spraying it on or vanilla (that you use to make cookies) & putting that on - helps keep them away. yes it does.
oh no! i HATE mosquitoes! i get in such a bad mood when i get bit, too!! hopefully your bumps will go away soon!!!
That stinks!! I HATE them too. The fact that they itch so bad and then I walk around with scabs all over. Even the scabs itch. It is a horrible thing. I hope you have a great vacation though!!
Thanks for teaching me so much about misquitos!!
Oh I think garlic is a good cure....I'm sorry they like you. Where are you going????
Yeah, they love me too :( I have heard that drinking G&Ts (gin & tonic ) helps - apparently the tonic water has quinine in it which makes you less attractive to the mossies. And well, the gin helps you to forget the little b&*x#@%'s are biting you!
I'm sorry they seem to like you so much. Now, I've heard that if you take Claritin, mosquitos won't bother you. I don't know for sure if this is true or not, but a doctor's wife told me. (therefor it must be true. hehe)
HOWEVER, I take Claritin and the mosquitoes aren't bothering me so far this summer...coincidence?
Ugh! My daughter is a mosquito magnet. I never understood before why they love some people so much.
Just back from the Northwoods of WI and they love Viv, Angus, and myself too. Angus has a huge egg size swelling in the middle of his forehead and back of arm. Poor little bugger. They don't seem to itch him though. Vivi has scratched so hard that she's broken skin. The dryer sheets do shoo them. I've tied them around ankles before! And, the no itch sticks do help relieve the itching.
Mosquitoes, you are not loved here by many!
mmm nice, very very nice. Hang on ... smelling something ... oh hey there Angie, wow I 'smell' why those pesky mosquitos love you, and to think I'd been wondering for sometime what that smell was. ha ha.
As a little tacker Jay was allergic to them so of course they would attack him ALL the time. He would swell up to the point his fingers would all be stuck together and he'd have giant welts all over his body, ugh. Glad he grew out of that.
Never spend time in Houston during the summertime. Those mosquitos are capable of latching on and carrying you off with them! And boy do they ITCH!
Okay- I JUST heard this weekend about how mosquitos are attracted to us because of the CO2 we exhale. I thought it was all B.S. but apparently it is true!
We just need to all stop breathing I guess....
So many big words. Very interesting, I am right there with you on hating them!!! I hope you can enjoy your vacation
Hey, have you tried soy sauce? ...just kidding.
Can't wait to hear all about your trip!
ME TOO!!!!
I totally agree with ya! It is a hate relationship!!!
~Elyse~
The things you don't know. I would never have guessed it was the females and I seriously would never have thought the smell of green ,moldy or meaty would have been the reason. I can not wait to tell my 3 friends that always say how sweet they must be....HAHAHA nope they are rotten!
Lindsey is allergic to mosquito bites and that makes them twice as miserable. Did I ever tell you mosquito's never bite me. I can count on one hand how many bites I have ever had. They sometimes land on me but I never get bitten. I must truly be sour through and through (ha ha).
Hmm, I guess I'm green, moldy and meaty too. That's just adding insult to injury - or itching, as the case may be!
This post made me chuckle, even as I reached for my omnipresent bottle of Caladryl Clear! :)
Cheers!
I'm a card carrying member of the "Mosquitoes Love Me" club. I am forever covered in bites. My friends love to stand around me outside because apparently, all the mosquitoes attack me and avoid everyone else.
They love me, too! I'm sad to find out that its NOT cuz I'm sweet :( Moldy or meaty......eeewwwwwww!!
how funny :o)
~simply~
Oh I hear ya Angie! I grew up in Alaska where we jokingly referred to the mosquitoe as the state bird! Hilarious post! :)
Wow...very interesting! I didn't know all that. All I know is that I hate them too!!!! UGGGH!!!!
I've wondered for awhile if the reason I don't seem to get bit much is because i'm hypoglycemic... either way I guess I'm lucky. I agree mosquitos are awful though.
Thank you for this little bit of trivia...... I too hate mosquitoes, now more than ever!
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