# Blood sucking birdies! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 17, 2000, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sucking-birdies/37201 "2000-10-17T01:06:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shuz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Shuz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shuz)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sucking-birdies/37201/1 "2000-10-17T01:06:40Z")
Those of you that have lived/visited or come within a 50 mile radius of Minnesota know what I’m talking about. Every summer, those little zinging bastards attack and bite like hell. For some reason, I’m extremely attractive to mosquitos. The average person gets 2 bites and I get 10. I want to know what (chemicals, etc.) causes a mosquito to bite one person more than another. I don’t use those fruity shampoo/lotions/sprays that make you smell a fruit jello factory. I cannot go outside after sun down. If u know something, then post it, I’d like that very much as my bites are healing. ---
**Author:** ![sethdallob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@sethdallob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sethdallob)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sucking-birdies/37201/2 "2000-10-17T01:08:24Z")
My mommy used to say that you must be sweet! From what I’ve read, it has to do with sweat. ---
**Author:** ![dragonlady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@dragonlady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dragonlady)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sucking-birdies/37201/3 "2000-10-17T01:14:12Z")
One of the “B” vitamins, I don’t remember which one, taken internally, is supposed to make you mosquito repellent. Anyone else ever hear of this? ---
**Author:** ![don\_Jaime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b4bc9f/32.png) [@don\_Jaime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_Jaime)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sucking-birdies/37201/4 "2000-10-17T03:45:20Z")
As I recall, mosquitoes are drawn by…the CO² in your breath. Don’t want them? Your only choice is stay inside or drop dead. I’d stay indoors. The maggots’ chewing is a **lot** more irritating than the mosquitoes’. ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sucking-birdies/37201/5 "2000-10-17T03:50:00Z")
I thought this thread was about vampiric avians. Damn. [hijack] (Thought I did get attacked by a mockingbird once. For real. Mama (or dada) nailed me smack in the back of the head for wandering too close to a hedge full of baby mockingbirds. Knocked out when I hit the sidewalk and ended up with a concussion. The doctor in the ER didn’t believe it, but at least I had a witness. Those birds do pack a wallop.) [/hijack] Back to the OP - Garlic works for me. After I eat garlic, I am not bothered by mosquitos (and Florida grows big’uns, too!). Heard about the B vitamin too. Try a B complex, rather than experimenting one at a time. **don Jaime** , that is disgusting. [can we get a barfy face icon just for that??] ---
**Author:** ![Phobos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Phobos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phobos)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sucking-birdies/37201/6 "2000-10-17T12:56:31Z")
You do realize that mosquitoes are not birds don’t you? **screech-owl** - Mockingbirds are indeed territorial and they do pack a wallop…I’ve heard quite the THUMP when they fly into the side of a car (attacking their own reflection). ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sucking-birdies/37201/7 "2000-10-17T13:50:10Z")
I sympathize, coming from Manitoba. I have found they are also attracted to my bf over evryone else. I say it’s because he has O type blood, rare vintage 😃 ---
**Author:** ![andyman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8491ac/32.png) [@andyman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andyman)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sucking-birdies/37201/8 "2000-10-17T15:24:32Z")
Hmmm… I have O- blood and get bitten a bit more than other people. It never occurred to me that my blood type might have had anything to do with it. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sucking-birdies/37201/9 "2000-10-17T15:30:25Z")
We have a trend. I also have type O blood, and get more bites than others. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sucking-birdies/37201/10 "2000-10-17T19:28:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Poysyn \* > \*\*I sympathize, coming from Manitoba. I have found they are also attracted to my bf over evryone else. I say it’s because he has O type blood, rare vintage 😃 \*\* O is the most common blood type. IIRC 44% of the general population has it. Around 5.7% of people are O Neg. I am O Neg and I get bitten a lot less than most people I know. I think you need another hypothesis. ---
**Author:** ![zenith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zenith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zenith)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sucking-birdies/37201/11 "2000-10-17T23:58:01Z")
You can’t even latch on to the neg aspect of Lance’s blood protecting him, I’m B neg and the go for me more than most people I know. We have our share of them here in eastern Nebraska.