# Mosquitos **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 18, 2001, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquitos/69222 "2001-06-18T13:57:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![buffalogal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@buffalogal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buffalogal)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2001, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquitos/69222/1 "2001-06-18T13:57:40Z")
Since we live in Houston, and since Houston just got flooded, we’re in for a heavy-duty mosquito season. I’ve been getting bit in bed – first I thought it was spiders, but now I’m sure it was mosquitos. My husband was untouched. This weekend we worked outside, and I was the one who got bit. I’ve read that they are attracted to carbon dioxide, heat, perspiration, and body odor. Not to toot my own horn, but body odor is one problem I do not have. My husband overheats and sweats a LOT more than I do. What is it about me that mosquitos so love? And what about carbon dioxide? I also read that mosquitos are attracted to pregnant women (not my case) probably because the women give off more heat and carbon dioxide. Maybe this is a silly question, but how do you give off more carbon dioxide? Breath harder? Any suggestions at fending off mosquitos? ---
**Author:** ![evilhanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba8739/32.png) [@evilhanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilhanz)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2001, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquitos/69222/2 "2001-06-18T14:10:47Z")
Google brought up more links than I could count. There have been a couple of recent threads ont eh subject, too. In any case, mosquitoes are attracted by odor,heat, and CO2 from as much as 40 miles away. Specifically, they’re looking for targets which emit higher levels of cholesterol and vitamin B according to a 1999 study reported in the BBC news [http://www.kre.co.za/iph/links/mosquitoes\_use\_super\_senses.htm](http://www.kre.co.za/iph/links/mosquitoes_use_super_senses.htm) You naturally emit higher concentrations of these chemicals than your husband. Sorry! DEET is the only reliable defense against mosquito bites. It’s been demonstrated scientifically. (again, Google is your friend) Incidentally, products which purport to ward off insects, like Skin-So-Soft, only increase your chances of becoming a mosquito’s next meal. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2001, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquitos/69222/3 "2001-06-18T17:08:31Z")
Skin-so-soft is excellent for warding off ticks. It doesn’t do diddly for anything other than ticks, though. ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2001, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquitos/69222/4 "2001-06-18T18:55:34Z")
I take the destructive approach. If I am in my backyard and get PO’d at the skeeters, I go into my house and whip out a can of RAID fogger (or a similar product). Within seconds, I have a huge white cloud enveloping my back yard and **NOTHING** with six legs and wings bothers me again for a couple days. Bra-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! \ ---
**Author:** ![Chas.E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Chas.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chas.E)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquitos/69222/5 "2001-06-19T23:02:24Z")
How many times have we discussed this, and I’m still getting bitten all to hell? I just went to LA for a week, I got absolutely terrible bites all over my legs and feet. And now I’m back in Iowa and the bites aren’t as severe but there are a lot more mosquitos. Anyway, Skin So Soft didn’t work for me, and I hate the scent. I’m mostly using Off pump spray which has a lot of nndmt in it, and scent is relatively pleasant. I have a Cutter rub on stick which has a MUCH higher concentration of nndmt in it, I like to use that lightly around my ears, neck, etc rather than spray the stuff at my face. Yep, I just love slathering chemicals all over my body. Especially since I was just out in the west san fernando valley where they get occasional mosquito-borne disease outbreaks. Hey, it was not so long ago that large cities used to largely shut down in the summers and many people would leave so as to avoid mosquito borne disease outbreaks like Yellow Fever. ---
**Author:** ![buffalogal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@buffalogal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buffalogal)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2001, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquitos/69222/6 "2001-06-20T12:54:55Z")
I didn’t realize this subject had been dealt with before. Before I started this thread, I did a search on the archives and the boards and didn’t come up with anything relevant. I guess I did it wrong. Sorry. As I said, we live in Houston. FEMA just said they’d pay 75% of the costs to spray in our area. I’m not crazy about pesticides, either, but I’m tired of getting bit in the house and out. I tried a helpful hint found on some website. You put a couple of drops of Lemon Fresh Joy in a white dinner plate. It’s supposed to attract and kill mosquitos. I put a plate outside and a couple inside. No luck. (I did, however, use Sunlight Lemon Citrus Burst, figuring there was no difference.) ---
**Author:** ![brachyrhynchos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brachyrhynchos/32/376_2.png) [@brachyrhynchos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brachyrhynchos)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquitos/69222/7 "2001-06-21T03:10:14Z")
**buffalogal** , I’ve been spending a lot of time in the past few weeks out trying to catch birds in mosquito-infested habitat (aka New Jersey). We’re looking for a virus that the mosquito picks up from the birds. I don’t relish the idea of getting bit, from either mosquitoes or ticks, so here’s what I do (basically what **evilhanz** was saying - use DEET): 1. Wear long pants and long-sleeve shirts. I know - ugh, it’s hot, but I’m in a particularly nasty area. I wear lightweight longsleeve turtlenecks. 2. Tuck the pant legs into my socks and wear rubber boots to my knees. 3. Spray Permanone from my waist down. _Permanone gets sprayed only on my clothes, **never my skin** _. This is an excellent tick repellent. Ideally it would get sprayed on my clothes the night before and let dry, but I can never remember to do that. 4. Spray Deep Woods Off on my waist upwards. Any product with 15-30% DEET should do it. I don’t believe efficacy increases with a higher dosage but I could be misremembering. And off I go traipsing into the woods with all the grace that a rubber-booted gal can muster. This is the gear that I recommend for heavily infested areas. For normal everyday activities, I wear less and spray only with DEET. Also check out [Mosquito IPM](http://www-rci.rutgers.edu/~insects/ipm.htm) and the link on Products That Have Limited Mosquito Control. You may also want to check out the mosquito control agency in your areas: [http://www.texasmosquito.org/Districts.html](http://www.texasmosquito.org/Districts.html) At least you can find out if they larvicide for floodwater mosquitoes and file a complaint (not a bad thing - this is how they monitor the situation, in addition to monitoring population levels). They should then come out to your neighborhood, put out a few traps and see what you have in the area. Adulticiding may or may not be recommended (depending on which species of mosquitoes are present and in what numbers). ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquitos/69222/8 "2001-06-21T05:32:26Z")
Brachy, Have you ever tried a bug jacket? They’re lightweight mesh jackets (and pants) that look like they’d be a cooler solution than wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts in the summer. You can get them at most outdoor suppliers like Campmor. Probably overkill for hanging out in the back yard cooking burgers, but if you’re hanging out in the swamps, then I assume fashion is secondary to comfort. ---
**Author:** ![brachyrhynchos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brachyrhynchos/32/376_2.png) [@brachyrhynchos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brachyrhynchos)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquitos/69222/9 "2001-06-21T08:16:23Z")
**Finagle** , thanks for the suggestion. I went to the campmor site and found the “no-see-um” pants and jacket (sounds like the emperor’s new clothes!) and they look like a good alternative. Thanks aga+n! ---
**Author:** ![Spooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Spooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spooky)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquitos/69222/10 "2001-06-21T08:55:08Z")
I’ve heard about people putting up bat houses in their yards. Bats consume enormous quantities of insects every night.