Student Article
Always Bugged By Mosquitoes? Blame Your Body Odor
Arena (noun): A large space used for special events.
Attract (verb): To pull something toward you.
Microbe (noun): A tiny living thing, like bacteria, that can only be seen with a microscope.
Malaria (noun): A disease spread by mosquito bites.
Have you ever wondered why mosquitoes like to bite some people more than others?
A giant mosquito experiment in Africa
Scientists built a giant test area in Zambia, Africa, as big as an ice rink, to learn how mosquitoes find people to bite. They wanted to see if things like heat, breath, or body smell made a difference.
Testing body odor with fake skin
Six people slept in tents around the arena. The air from their tents — filled with their body smell — was sent into the arena through big tubes. Each night, 200 mosquitoes were released, and cameras watched where they flew and landed.
Some smells attract mosquitoes more than others
The scientists found that one person didn’t attract mosquitoes at all! That person’s body smell was different from the others. Each person has their own mix of smells made by their skin, food, breath, and even tiny microbes. Some of these smells attract mosquitoes more than others.
How this research could help
This study might help scientists make better mosquito traps. That could help stop the spread of sicknesses like malaria, which mosquitoes carry.
© Noa Leach / Our Media
Arena (noun): A large space used for special events.
Attract (verb): To pull something toward you.
Microbe (noun): A tiny living thing, like bacteria, that can only be seen with a microscope.
Malaria (noun): A disease spread by mosquito bites.