No one likes mosquitoes. Whether they fear any diseases they potentially carry or hate the infuriatingly itchy red welts they leave behind, mosquitoes never bring a good time. Many people know of home remedies to ward off these pesky flying insects, but did you know there is something you may be doing that actually brings these insects towards you? Or, more specifically, something you drink? That's right, a popular drink can make mosquitoes more attracted to you.
What Drink Makes Mosquitoes More Attracted To You?
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Most people link mosquitoes and sweet things. A common joke is that they bite people because they are "so sweet." So, that may lead you to believe that the drink that makes mosquitoes more attracted to you would be something like Coca-Cola or wine. However, neither of those takes the prize.
The drink that makes mosquitoes more attracted to you is......beer! That's right, one of America's favorite beverages makes you much more susceptible to being bitten by a mosquito. Particularly "Anopheles gambiae," which is the type of mosquito that transmits malaria.
Unilad shared an experiment conducted by experts to test this theory. They found that National Geographic reported that 43 men were recruited from "Burkin Faso in West Africa" and were "sent into one of two outdoor tents that were sealed."
"One tent was unoccupied, but in the second, volunteers either drank a liter of water or a liter of beer." Mosquitoes track down their prey via smell. So, to ensure these mosquitoes got a whiff of these volunteers, "a fan started to pump air from each of the tents, down various tubes and into a cup full of mosquitoes."
This experiment showed something astonishing.
"The smell of a beer drinker, 15 minutes after downing a liter, increased the proportion of mosquitoes inclined to fly into the tubes by 65 percent."
What Happens Now?
While experts are still unaware of why the mosquitoes are attracted to those who drink beer, the verdict is clear. If you want to lessen your chances of being bitten, avoid this popular beverage. Although no mosquitoes were actually permitted to bite any of the study's volunteers, the evidence held true.
The drink that makes mosquitoes infinitely more attracted to you is beer. Experts theorize it is something about the smell of the beer. Also, alcohol weakens your immune system, making you more susceptible to diseases that the mosquito may be carrying.
So, next time you are out on a beautiful summer evening, opt for some bug spray and a glass of water.
