The case in summary: Hanne Mari Naastad experienced being heavily attacked by mosquitoes on an overnight trip, despite the use of mosquito spray, mosquito nets and mosquito repellants. Insect researcher Sondre Dahle at the Norwegian Institute of Natural Sciences (NINA) explains that genetics can influence how attractive the mosquito is to a person. Other factors that attract mosquitoes include the smell of sweat, high body temperature and the amount of CO₂ you exhale. Naastad received many tips to avoid mosquito bites on Facebook. Dahle recommends the use of mosquito spray, but points out that the effectiveness can vary. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – I can sit in a group of others that the mosquitoes don’t care about, but then there is a swarm around me. This is what Hanne Mari Naastad tells us. At the end of her scouting with an overnight stay in a hammock, she received an impressive number of stab wounds to the face. She had both mosquito spray, mosquito netting and mosquito repellent this day, with a rather disappointing result. – They crawled through the hole in the mosquito net and bit through the stillong and what was there, she says. Tidens Krav wrote about Hanne’s encounter with the mosquito first. Spring and summer are hatching and swarming time for millions of mosquitoes. Photo: Linda Bjørgan / news Heat, sweat and CO₂ – It is known that there are differences between people, and some are born as mosquito magnets, says insect researcher Sondre Dahle at the Norwegian Institute for Natural Research (NINA). He says that genetics affects how well mosquitoes like you, and that, for example, tests have been carried out on identical twins which show that they attract mosquitoes to the same extent. Both body temperature, sweat and shortness of breath are things mosquitoes like, says mosquito researcher Sondre Dahl. Photo: Norwegian Institute for Natural Research (NINA) But even if your genes may have already made you a little extra fragrant to mosquitoes and gnats, there are also other things that come into play. – The smell of sweat from people generally smells good to these insects, and it has been seen, for example, that by putting acidic socks in mosquito traps, you can get a better catch. A high body temperature is also attractive to mosquitoes, and high activity and breathlessness affect how much CO₂ you exhale. – CO₂ attracts mosquitoes and gnats, explains Dahle. The size of a human can therefore also affect how interesting the insects find it, as larger bodies release more CO₂ than small bodies. Are you a mosquito magnet? Yes, the mosquito loves me! Does anyone get bitten every now and then by Mosquitoes? Show result Peppermint oil and tiger balm But what do you do if, freshly showered or not, you constantly experience high popularity among mosquitoes? Hanne Mari Naastad published a post in the Facebook group “Friluftsliv Norge” after the trip to Fosterlågen in Gjemnes, and has received an overwhelming response with tips and tricks from the group’s members. In the comments section you will find tips on everything from washing the skin with mouthwash or wound cleaner to applying peppermint oil and tiger balm. Other tips are more traditional, and Naastad says that there are some tips that are repeated. – There is, among other things, a spray you can buy at the pharmacy that many people recommend, in addition to Jungle oil and various natural products. So there is probably something that works. – Much that has not been tested Sondre Dahle also strikes a blow for the good old mosquito spray, but points out that it is different how high the content of the active substances DEET and icaridin is in the products, which will therefore have something to say about how long they last. He still does not want to completely write off the more non-traditional solutions and old-fashioned advice people share in the Facebook group. – There is much that has not been tested, so it may well be that there are things that work that have not been documented. And although there were a few itchy days for Hanne Mari Naastad after the hammock trip, she is still clear that she should not stay indoors to avoid new stings. – Now I’ve got more tips to try! Published 16.06.2024, at 11.22
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This is why some people get bitten by mosquitoes and ticks more than others – news Møre og Romsdal – Local news, TV and radio
