As a child, the mosquitoes lined up for me. On a hot summer day, it didn't matter whether my brothers were out at the swimming hole or not. I was the tasty one, and I did not like it.
It turns out, my brothers were just more stressed than I am.
Scientists have long been researching why mosquitoes go for some people and not others. Mosquitoes infect 500 million people a year with disease, one million of whom die each year from malaria alone, and so the research has more to do with saving the lives of millions globally than ensuring your backyard BBQ is an enjoyable one.
According to the Wall Street Journal, scientists have found the answer. The chemicals related to stress, Dr. Logan, head of the research explains, provides "significant repellency." So, it could be that as the youngest I just had less to worry about, and as such, the mosquitoes thought I made a better meal. Stress is, after all, a natural indicator of prey that may be weak or injured.
Scientists hope to use this knowledge to develop a natural repellent to help rid the world of Malaria, which is something that could help us all relax.
Rest assured, if stress repellent doesn't work out, there are other strategies in the works to eradicate those itchy bites: one Seattle company is using STAR WARS technology to shoot mosquitoes out of the sky instead of Soviet nukes.
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