How do we know?
↻ One of the pages with a moving picture
Mosquitoes chose between people wearing nylon stockings.
- Only adult female mosquitoes bite and take blood.
- She needs the blood to help her eggs develop. Then she lays them on or near water.
- Males never bite. They feed on plant juices, like flower nectar.
- Females find us by sensing the carbon dioxide we breathe out, our body heat and our skin smell.
Scientists had people wear nylon stockings on their arms, then let mosquitoes choose. The favorites had lots of certain fatty acids on their skin. It’s a strong link, but scientists are still studying why.
In one study, the person mosquitoes liked best was 100 times more attractive to them than the person they liked least!
Not all mosquitoes drink blood. A few kinds in Indiana, like Toxorhynchites, don’t take blood meals at all.
Wow number
100× In one study, the person mosquitoes liked best was 100 times more attractive to them than the person they liked least!
Myth or fact?
All mosquitoes bite. Myth. Only adult females take blood. Males drink plant juices.
Mosquito eggs hatch after touching water. Fact. They usually hatch in about three days.
Think about it
Why do you think mosquitoes bite more at dusk?
Where in the world?
Indiana, USA where a few kinds of mosquitoes, like Toxorhynchites, don’t take blood meals at all — 40.2672° N, 86.1349° W.
Where these facts come from
Every number on page 69, and who measured it
This page tells us that only female mosquitoes take blood, and why.
Mosquitoes — University of Missouri Extension, which teaches about farming and nature
extension.missouri.edu/publications/g7400
We checked it on 31 October 2026
This page tells us how mosquitoes find us, and about Indiana mosquitoes that don't bite.
Mosquitos — Purdue University's insect scientists in Indiana
extension.entm.purdue.edu/publichealth/insects/mosquito.html
We checked it on 31 October 2026
This page is a science paper about the body heat and smells that draw mosquitoes.
Differential mosquito attraction to humans is associated with skin-derived carboxylic acid levels — A science paper about why mosquitoes like some people more, shared by the U.S. National Library of Medicine
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10069481
We checked it on 31 October 2026
This page tells us about the nylon-stocking study and the person mosquitoes liked best.
The Rockefeller University » Why some people are mosquito magnets — The Rockefeller University, a science research university in New York
rockefeller.edu/news/33019-why-mosquitoes-bite-some-people-more
We checked it on 31 October 2026
Has this changed?
Yes, this one may grow. Scientists are still studying why some skin smells attract mosquitoes more.
Why mosquitoes bite is not going to change.
Words from this page
- carbon dioxide
- The gas we breathe out. Mosquitoes can sense it from far away.
- fatty acid
- A kind of oily chemical found on skin.
Try it!
Do a water patrol around your home.
1. With a grown-up, walk around your yard or porch once a week. 2. Look for standing water in buckets, flowerpot trays or toys. 3. Tip it out onto the ground. Wash your hands after.
What happens: with no standing water, mosquitoes have fewer places to lay eggs near your home.
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