Well, we survived another summer mosquito season. Or have we? With any warm days that happen to pop up before Old Man Winter takes over, those mosquitoes seem to come out of the woodwork, of rather someplace damp at least.

This year, wasn't too bad in the areas of my backyard and at my campground since we had a relatively dry summer, but there were enough around just the same to 'bug' me. The itching after they bite is so annoying.

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But here's something I found frustrating. Some people who have been around me when these nasty bugs are present weren't getting bit as much as I was. There must be a logical reason. Some have thought that your blood type might be the answer, but that has not been proven to be the answer. So, I searched the good old world wide web for a possible answer.

My search ended with the Scientific American website for what turned out to be an interesting answer. The site mentions a paper found in the journal Cell, that each of us possesses a unique scent profile of different chemical compounds.

If your skin produces high levels of carboxylic acids, mosquitoes will most likely be attracted to you, versus others around you. Scientific American mentions that diet or grooming habits won't make a difference. One study mentioned states that mosquitoes are stated more to people that produce greater levels of carboxylic acids from their skin than others who have lesser levels.

So what can you do to repel mosquitoes aside from the many products available on the market, that in my opinion, do nothing, Scientific American states that researchers are working on more effective mosquito repellents, and one possible solution is " adding new bacteria to the skin’s existing microbiome to alter its scent profile."

Until that happens, I guess covering your skin as much as possible is the best course, although who really wants to be covered up in the heat of summer? Not me.

[via Scientific American, Cell]

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