IF you're more prone to bug bites than your friends, there may be a simple reason. One person shared the hack their grandmother swore by to keep insects away. Commenting on a Reddit post , an unnamed user revealed the reason why bugs target specific people.
They responded to a poster who said they were "getting eaten alive" by bugs. "Mosquitos are attracted mainly to the carbon dioxide you exhale," they explained. "[When working outside], you [should] control your breathing by working slowly and not exerting yourself [to avoid getting bitten].
" As well as controlling your breathing, reducing your sweat excretion is another necessity. According to the National Institutes of Health , a mosquito's ability to detect skin odor is directly related to its reception of carbon dioxide. The Redditor revealed a technique passed down through their family for deterring bugs.
"A trick my grandmother taught me was to dip the cloth into water before wrapping it around my neck that keeps me relatively cool," they said. "My friends say I look ridiculous, but I never get insect bites." The poster also suggested confusing the insects by adding other smells into the mix.
"You can also disguise your carbon dioxide footprint by masking it with natural repellents like mint or basil," they wrote. For the best coverage, they recommended growing these aromatic herbs in your flower beds. The poster also discussed the role of colour in attracting insects such as mosquitos.
A study published in Nature Com.
