Why Do Mosquitoes Always Sting My Baby?

Have you noticed that in the summer, many children play outside without worrying about insects, but your own child is constantly bitten by mosquitoes?

Mosquitoes are very active in warm environments, and in summer it is very common to be bitten by a mosquito. Unfortunately, children who spend a lot of time outdoors are a caught prey for mosquitoes, which can become a real problem.

It is entirely possible that it is your child who is a favorite target of mosquitoes. Namely, these insects have their own preferences regarding humans and their food.

Why do mosquitoes always sting my baby?

In order to start thinking about how mosquito bites can be prevented, you must first find out why mosquitoes bite a certain person more often than others.

Blood type

Blood type is said to be one of the biggest causes of mosquito bites. Mosquitoes sting humans to drink this blood, and these creatures also have their own preferences for their food.

Mosquitoes are more likely to lean towards a person with blood type O. From a mosquito’s point of view, the second best option is group B, and people with blood type A are lucky because they are injected with half as many as those with O blood type.

How, then, does a mosquito identify a human blood type? Depending on the blood type, the human body secretes saccharides through the skin, which act as a chemical signal detected by the mosquito. This is how an insect separates different blood groups.

Physical activity

The heat attracts mosquitoes, and when a child plays outside, his body releases heat. In addition to the heat, mosquitoes also sense sweat, which is accompanied by the release of natural substances such as lactic acid, uric acid and ammonia, which the mosquito detects even from a long distance.

However, this is not just a matter of hygiene. Genes play a big role in this, as they determine how much of these substances are excreted through sweat.

Skin bacteria

Human skin is home to a large number of natural bacteria, some of which attract mosquitoes. In all cases, however, the bacteria are not unfavorable to humans, as the  rod bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa appears to have the opposite effect on mosquitoes.

Bacteria are also the reason why mosquitoes inject a person into a particular part of the body. For example, there are large numbers of bacilli on the ankles and footboards that attract mosquitoes.

Clothing

Mosquitoes are guided not only by their sense of smell but also by their vision in finding a suitable object. The mosquito most easily detects dark colors, such as black, dark blue, or red.

Pastels or other light colors, such as white, reduce the risk of a mosquito biting. Light clothing also has the advantage of keeping the child’s body as cool as possible during the summer heat.

Prevention of mosquito bites

Don’t despair, even if your child seems to be constantly being bitten by mosquitoes. The grief caused by these insects can be reduced with a few easy tips:

• Avoid dark and bright colors (especially black and dark blue) on clothing.
• Limit the outdoors in the evenings, when the number of mosquitoes in the environment is the highest.
• Get rid of pools or barrels that accumulate stagnant water as they are great places for insect reproduction.
• Install insect screens or even ultrasound-based insect repellents on windows and doors.

Although mosquito repellents are a workable solution, and many of them are also suitable for children, they should be used with caution. It must be ensured that an effective and reliable product is selected in the shopping cart that is also suitable for use with children. There are also a variety of natural substances available that work to repel mosquitoes. For example, sage with antimicrobial effects, as well as eucalyptus and cinnamon can keep mosquitoes at bay when rubbed on the skin. Citronella oil is also a known natural insect repellent.

Finally, we would like to mention that parents should monitor their child’s skin for any severe reactions. At worst, a mosquito bite can cause an allergic reaction or inflammation. If the puncture mark is found to swell profusely, cause pain, or secrete rot, the child should be taken to a doctor. The same is true for a situation where a child’s fever rises as a result of a mosquito bite.