# Anyone else think musquito welts are bigger now then three decades ago? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 17, 2012, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-musquito-welts-are-bigger-now-then-three-decades-ago/628502 "2012-07-17T08:01:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-musquito-welts-are-bigger-now-then-three-decades-ago/628502/21 "2012-07-17T17:33:44Z")
Several people have said it already, but it’s becoming one of my old fogey lines, so I’m taking the opportunity to repeat it. The older I get, the less mosquito bites itch. Yup. ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-musquito-welts-are-bigger-now-then-three-decades-ago/628502/22 "2012-07-17T18:54:15Z")
I would just like to gloat that I do not get welts from mosquito bites. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Runestar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/74df32/32.png) [@Runestar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runestar)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-musquito-welts-are-bigger-now-then-three-decades-ago/628502/23 "2012-07-17T19:44:16Z")
Just to hijack the thread slightly, it’s time for me to roll out my summer camp story… Back when I was young, and was at summer camp, a handful of us and a couple of counselors went away from the camp and camped by the shores of a small lake. We had mosquito netting to sleep under, but somehow during the course of the night I managed to roll out from underneath it. The next morning the counselors counted over 200 mosquito bites on me. The next couple of weeks were Not Fun At All. Fortunately, I seem to have become less attractive to mosquitoes as I’ve gotten older. ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-musquito-welts-are-bigger-now-then-three-decades-ago/628502/24 "2012-07-18T00:19:09Z")
We used to load up on vitamin B complex (one a day for two weeks) before going to Canada where the mosquitoes form platoons and you can hear them coming from across the lake at a certain time of day. It seemed like those of us who took the vitamin B were less affected - the theory was we were more stinky to the little buggers who’d go looking for sweet meat instead. I’ve never had major problems with mosquitoes, but I also eat a diet that is naturally high in a variety of vitamin Bs. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-musquito-welts-are-bigger-now-then-three-decades-ago/628502/25 "2012-07-18T00:35:33Z")
> [@Enkel](#): > > We used to load up on vitamin B complex (one a day for two weeks) before going to Canada where the mosquitoes form platoons and you can hear them coming from across the lake at a certain time of day. > > It seemed like those of us who took the vitamin B were less affected - the theory was we were more stinky to the little buggers who’d go looking for sweet meat instead. I’ve never had major problems with mosquitoes, but I also eat a diet that is naturally high in a variety of vitamin Bs. I’ve been taking B complex for the last few summers and I hardly get bit at all anymore. I used to be an all-you-can-eat mosquito buffet. Of course this year with the drought there’s no skeeters because there’s no water. When I do get bit I get huge golf-ball size welts that usually start oozing out the middle. I don’t remember getting the welts as a kid. I’ve also developed a grass allergy as I’ve gotten older so I have the feeling the two are connected. ---
**Author:** ![highrollinwooded](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/71c47a/32.png) [@highrollinwooded](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/highrollinwooded)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-musquito-welts-are-bigger-now-then-three-decades-ago/628502/26 "2012-07-18T02:47:59Z")
I am MUCH more intolerant of mosquito bites at 44 than I was as a kid. To get one now means a welt the size of a quarter…and itches like a bitch for about 4-5 days…sucks!!Probably tied into the reason I have developed seasonal allergies in the last few years…except it is not seasonal per se…it is every friggin season!!! ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-musquito-welts-are-bigger-now-then-three-decades-ago/628502/27 "2012-07-18T18:26:30Z")
There are also different types of mosquitoes. The tiger mosquitoes are everywhere since about six years or so. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-musquito-welts-are-bigger-now-then-three-decades-ago/628502/28 "2012-07-18T20:00:17Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > There are also different types of mosquitoes. The tiger mosquitoes are everywhere since about six years or so. Came in to say this. I don’t know about the situation in The Netherlands, but in many parts of the US we are dealing with a larger, more aggressive species of mosquito than those we may have encountered in childhood. Tiger mosquitoes are real bastards. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-musquito-welts-are-bigger-now-then-three-decades-ago/628502.md?page=1)