If Mosquitoes Love You, Maybe Change Your Soap.
Mosquitoes really love some people more than others . Some traits that make you a magnet for mosquitoes are not easy to change, such as your body size or the natural smell of your skin. But now research has shown that scented soap can also make a difference, and it’s something you can easily change.
The study wasn’t large enough or comprehensive enough to tell us exactly what kind of soap we should use to avoid (or at least not attract) mosquitoes, but it raises a lot of interesting questions. The researchers gave Aedes aegypti mosquitoes a choice of two sleeves, worn either by people who didn’t wash their hands, those who washed their hands with one of four types of soap, or actually if you want technical bodywashes. (The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not consider bodywash to be soap , but almost everyone else on the planet uses the terms interchangeably, including the people who conducted this study.)
Floral scented soaps should be avoided
Three body washes were found to be more attractive to mosquitoes. These were Dial Body Wash Marula Oil, Dove Deep Moisture Nourishing Body Wash and Simple Truth Organic Honey Blossom Baby Shampoo & Body Wash. All three had floral scents, suggesting that mosquitoes might find these scents more palatable than unwashed human skin. When mosquitoes aren’t drinking our blood, they’re actually drinking flower nectar, so that makes sense.
However, the mosquitoes reacted to the smell of the sleeves without the presence of volunteers. This is one of the unanswered questions: can they stop caring about floral scent when faced with hot, tasty human breath (they sniff out carbon dioxide to find us).
Not surprisingly, chemical analysis has shown that people smell differently after washing with scented soap. But it wasn’t just about smelling like a human plus body wash; washing our skin seems to reduce some of our natural odors while adding some new soap scents. The researchers tested two typical body washes (Dial and Dove) as well as two brands that claim to be more “natural” (Simple Truth and Native) and found that the natural brands contained fewer chemical compounds. But one of them (the product “Simple Truth”) nevertheless fell into the group of soaps that are more attractive to mosquitoes.
What can repel mosquitoes
The fourth soap that made volunteers less attractive to mosquitoes was Native Coconut and Vanilla Body Wash. Does this mean coconut scents repel mosquitoes? It’s possible, but more research is needed to find out if this product is the exception or if there’s a pattern found with coconut-scented soaps, “natural” soap brands, or perhaps some other factor. The researchers did not test unscented soap, which would be interesting to compare.
Incidentally, we also don’t know if these findings apply to all mosquitoes. The Aedes aegypti mosquitoes used in this study are found in the southern United States, as well as parts of the Midwest and along the West Coast . These mosquitoes can carry Zika, dengue and yellow fever viruses, so they are of particular interest to scientists. There is no word on whether the different species of Culex mosquitoes, which are more widely distributed in the northern United States, have the same preferences.
The only reliable way to get rid of mosquitoes
Ultimately, if you want to stay away from mosquito bites, there are only two things that can really keep you away from them when you’re going to a barbecue this summer: Apply DEET or another EPA-registered repellant spray, and use repellant spray. box fan to make it harder for thirsty critters to find you and fly to you. Other helpful tips include wearing long sleeves and trousers to prevent biting, and staying indoors, behind closed windows or window bars. Getting rid of stagnant water in your yard is also a smart move .