How many times have you tried to enjoy that perfect evening cookout only to have your plans ruined by pesky mosquitoes who keep following you from one place to the other. Apart from leaving behind reddish pelts on your skin, getting bitten by mosquitoes can also lead to serious diseases. The most frustrating thing is that these pests hardly get fazed when you swat them away.

Things become worse when they seem to target you among everyone else. No, it’s nothing to do with bad luck or an off day. Mosquitoes target certain people over the others because of their preferences. Oh, your looks have nothing to do with it. According to Jerry Butler, a professor emeritus at the University of Florida, mosquitoes have clear preferences when it comes to human blood. Despite spending enormous amounts of time and money in researching what mosquitoes consider to be ideal in terms of human blood, a clear cut answer is still not available. However, one fact that has emerged from the various studies conducted is that lactic acid is considered to attract mosquitoes.

Lactic acid is made by your red blood cells and your muscle tissues. When the oxygen levels in your body are at a normal level, the carbohydrate breaks down into CO2 and H2O. However, when the oxygen level is low, the carbohydrate breaks down and ends up making lactic acid. Your lactic acid levels generally increase when you perform strenuous exercises or have issues such as heart failure or shock. Having continuously higher levels of lactic acid in your body is also considered to be a serious issue. Another problem with higher lactic acid levels is that mosquitoes are more attracted to people who have a higher build up of lactic acid in their body.

The best way to ensure that you are not targeted by mosquitoes for the simple reason that you prefer to remain fit, make sure that you wash yourself thoroughly with soap after exercising. Don’t forget to dry yourself thoroughly as well. This shall help you to get rid of that scent which attracts mosquitoes. You can also use mosquito repellants or stickers that are infused with citronella oil. These stickers mask your human scent and make you appear useless to the mosquito.

So, if you’re looking to avoid an onslaught from mosquitoes, don’t forget to wash yourself after doing rigorous exercise before you make any outdoor plans. Remember, these pests have been around for almost 170 million years and more than 170 different species of mosquitoes have been recorded in the US alone. Don’t expect them to disappear anytime soon. You might not be able to eradicate them, but you can definitely reduce and nullify their impact on your body.