Foods That Make You More Attractive To Mosquitos

There will be a lot of picnics going on this weekend. The one thing I absolutely hate about being outdoors are the mosquitoes. I now know why I hate them so much. It has to do with blood type, the size of a person, and how much beer you drink.

TheDailyMeal.com has found a variety of reasons that certain people are far more attractive to mosquitoes than others. These biting insects have an acute sense of smell, but they also rely on carbon dioxide signatures -- that means they tend to flock to larger people or pregnant women.

Diet is a factor as well. The critters can smell salty snacks, sumptuous sweets, and other goodies on our skin, making us much more delicious to them.Check out some foods that make you tastier to mosquitoes.

Beer
Beer can give you a buzz, but even a single beer can make you a target for mosquitos. Scientists are not exactly sure why mosquitos go for beer drinkers, but they don't think it has anything to do with the increase in ethanol in the bloodstream or the heightened body temperature caused by beer consumption. Like us humans, mosquitos may just like the taste of a good brew.

Potassium-Rich Foods
Bloodsucking mosquitos are extremely attracted to lactic acid. Too bad lactic acid is constantly naturally released by our bodies, making us prime snacks. Eating potassium-rich foods, however, increases the amount of lactic acid you give off through your skin. Bananas, potatoes, prunes, raisins, lima beans, avocadoes, and spinach are full of potassium, so snacking on these makes you even tastier to the invasive insects. Well, there goes guacamole!

Salty Snacks
Wiping salty potato chip crumbs on bright beach towels or on denim cutoffs while enjoying the sun is a typical summertime occurrence. Little did you know, eating a high-sodium diet also increases the amount of lactic acid you produce, and more lactic acid means more mosquito bites. Filling up on salty snacks like crispy chips, hot curly fries, roasted peanuts, or even that bacon on your burger, will make you that much more delicious to mosquitos.

Sweets
Often picnic tables are piled high with tart cherry pies, melty ice cream cakes and sugary candies to celebrate summer. As much as we love these tasty desserts and sweet things, they have a saccharine aroma that is very attractive to most animals, mosquitos included. Not only will the sweets attract sweet–toothed friends and family, they will also act as magnets for bugs and mosquitos.

High Cholesterol
High cholesterol is not only a health hazard, but having a higher level of cholesterol in your blood increases your appeal to mosquitos. It is always important to lower your bad cholesterol if it is too high and recommended by your doctor. Eating more fruits and veggies, and opting for lean meats can help to lower cholesterol levels. Just think of it as killing two birds with one stone.

Dairy Products
So many delectable summer favorites, like sweet strawberry ice cream, coconut froyo, delicious Redi-Whip, and layered parfaits, are dairy-based. Unfortunately, these desserts and other dairy goods cause the body to produce lactic acid, which reels in the mosquitos. Guess that means we'll have eat our ice cream inside to avoid those biting bugs.

Now, you are armed with the right information to fight back against the mosquitoes. Enjoy your holiday weekend and the picnics!