{"id":15129516,"date":"2026-05-30T23:55:59","date_gmt":"2026-05-31T03:55:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/beer-body-scent-may-make-you-a-mosquito-magnet-can-deet-help\/"},"modified":"2026-06-28T01:51:15","modified_gmt":"2026-06-28T05:51:15","slug":"beer-body-scent-may-make-you-a-mosquito-magnet-can-deet-help","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/beer-body-scent-may-make-you-a-mosquito-magnet-can-deet-help\/","title":{"rendered":"Beer, Body Scent May Make You a Mosquito Magnet. Can DEET Help?"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1296\" height=\"728\" src=\"https:\/\/media.post.rvohealth.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/mosquito-header-1296x728-1.jpg\" alt=\"Male spraying DEET on arms\" class=\"wp-image-4845944\" \/><figcaption>Some people are more prone to mosquito bites than others, and scientists may have figured out why. Jaromir\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Researchers have identified several reasons why mosquitoes are more attracted to some people than others.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>The scent you give off through carbon dioxide and through your skin can make you more prone to mosquito bites.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Mosquitoes may also be more attracted to people who drink beer.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>While<\/strong> <strong>DEET offers protection, research suggests that mosquitoes could evolve to become attracted to it.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you&#8217;ve ever felt like you&#8217;re a mosquito magnet, you&#8217;re not alone. Research shows that mosquitoes may be more attracted to some people than others.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biorxiv.org\/content\/10.1101\/2025.08.21.671470v1.full\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2026 preprint study<\/a> found that mosquitoes are also more attracted to those who drink beer compared to those who don\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p>Other recent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-025-13427-z\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">studies<\/a> have found that mosquitoes are attracted to the carbon dioxide (CO2) humans exhale.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC10069481\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Older studies<\/a> suggest that mosquitoes may be attracted to chemical odors emitted by your skin. <\/p>\n<p>Regardless of what attracts them, it&#8217;s safe to say that no one wants to be their next meal. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cMosquitoes are said to be the most dangerous animals on our planet because they can transmit serious infections, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health\/malaria\">malaria<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health\/yellow-fever\">yellow fever<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health\/zika-virus-symptoms\">Zika<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health\/dengue-fever\">dengue<\/a>, and chikungunya, among others,\u201d said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vumc.org\/health-policy\/person\/william-schaffner-md\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">William Schaffner<\/a>, MD, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University.&nbsp;Schaffner wasn&#8217;t involved in the studies.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThus, learning how to avoid mosquito bites has long been a public health priority.&nbsp;It is a common experience that mosquitoes seem to have a preference for some persons while avoiding others,\u201d he told Healthline.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>DEET has long been considered the gold standard <a href=\"\/health\/outdoor-health\/how-to-prevent-mosquito-bites\">repellent<\/a> for protection against <a href=\"\/health\/mosquito-bites\">mosquito bites<\/a>. However, a <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.biologists.com\/jeb\/article-abstract\/229\/10\/jeb251935\/371741\/Associative-learning-switches-DEET-valence-from?redirectedFrom=fulltext\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">new study<\/a> found that mosquitoes may have learned how to associate DEET with food and even become attracted to it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Of course, this doesn&#8217;t mean you should stop using DEET altogether. Any protection against mosquitoes is better than none at all.<\/p>\n<p>Whether you plan to travel this summer or attend World Cup matches, you may need to take extra precautions against mosquitoes, especially if you&#8217;re more prone to bites than others. Here&#8217;s what you need to know.<\/p>\n<h2>Why are some people tastier to mosquitoes than others?<\/h2>\n<p>Mosquitoes are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-025-13427-z\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">attracted to<\/a> the CO2 we exhale. They can fly up a CO2 \u201cplume\u201d that a person creates when they breathe and find a host. However, whether they land or not may depend on other factors.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Some <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC5949359\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">studies<\/a> have pointed to our unique heat signatures as a reason mosquitoes may choose to land and feed on some people rather than others. Mosquitoes may be more attracted to stronger heat signatures.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Other <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC10069481\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">studies<\/a> have found that mosquitoes may be attracted to chemical odors emitted by human skin. People who are more attractive to mosquitoes appear to produce more carboxylic acids. Carboxylic acids are naturally occurring compounds. They <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.plos.org\/plosntds\/article?id=10.1371\/journal.pntd.0011402\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">are found<\/a> in human sweat and generated by skin microbes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Researchers believe that understanding how mosquitoes are attracted to certain skin odors may help develop more effective repellents.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biorxiv.org\/content\/10.1101\/2025.08.21.671470v1.full\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">recent study<\/a> at a festival also found that what you drink may be more likely to attract mosquitoes. The researchers examined mosquito behavior among 465 participants from the festival.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>They found that factors such as consuming <a href=\"\/nutrition\/is-beer-good-for-you\">beer<\/a> appeared to attract mosquitoes more. <\/p>\n<p>The researchers noted that this may be due to the smell of beer attracting mosquitoes rather than blood alcohol levels. However, they also note that further research is needed to verify the findings.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis study, conducted during a music festival in the Netherlands, suggested that mosquitoes were attracted to the skin of persons who had consumed beer,&#8221; Schaffner said. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;However interesting, the result is inconclusive and must be confirmed by further research.&nbsp; It is unlikely that this study will result in a notable reduction in beer consumption.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>DEET: It&#8217;s what&#8217;s for dinner&nbsp;<\/h2>\n<p>A recent study published in the <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.biologists.com\/jeb\/article-abstract\/229\/10\/jeb251935\/371741\/Associative-learning-switches-DEET-valence-from?redirectedFrom=fulltext\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Journal of Experimental Biology<\/a> found that mosquitoes may begin to associate the smell of DEET with food and even become attracted to it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The researchers trained mosquitoes by gradually introducing DEET and using a bag of warm blood kept just out of reach. As the mosquitoes began feeding on blood, the team introduced DEET into their environment.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>After repeating this process 4 times, they found that more than 60% of the mosquitoes attempted to feed when presented only with the smell of DEET. The insects were then given a choice of human hands. The \u201cuntrained\u201d mosquitoes avoided the DEET-covered hand, while the \u201ctrained\u201d ones were drawn to it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe common assumption has always been that repellents work because of their chemistry \u2014 that DEET simply smells bad to mosquitoes and they flee or that its chemistry prevents mosquitoes from smelling us,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biochem.vt.edu\/people\/faculty\/clement-vinauger.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cl\u00e9ment Vinauger<\/a>, associate professor of biochemistry at Virginia Tech, and co-author of the study, said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newswise.com\/articles\/think-deet-keeps-mosquitoes-away-they-may-be-learning-to-love-it\/?sc=dwrecomm&amp;xy=10069097&amp;wt=dw_r_25052026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">press release<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut what we are showing is that the mosquito\u2019s brain can rewrite that response based on experience. What the insect has learned matters just as much as what the chemical does. That, I think, is a paradigm shift,\u201d Vinauger continued.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Schaffner noted that while these findings are interesting, they are \u201cunlikely to occur in nature.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The researchers noted that these findings don\u2019t mean you should stop using DEET, as it&#8217;s still one of the most effective ways to repel mosquitoes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The study, however, suggests that the timing and concentration may matter more than previously thought. <\/p>\n<p>Vinauger <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newswise.com\/articles\/think-deet-keeps-mosquitoes-away-they-may-be-learning-to-love-it\/?sc=dwrecomm&amp;xy=10069097&amp;wt=dw_r_25052026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">suggested<\/a> reapplying regularly rather than a lot at once. This may help the repellent to remain continuously active and provide protection.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Best protection against mosquitos<\/h2>\n<p>If you&#8217;re spending time outdoors, it&#8217;s important to try to protect yourself from mosquito bites.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMosquito bites are an unpleasant nuisance, but, beyond that, mosquitoes can be the vectors for numerous diseases.&nbsp;Avoiding mosquito bites also reduces your risk of being stuck with a nasty infection,\u201d said Schaffner.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Schaffner recommended the following ways to help protect yourself from mosquito bites:&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>wear long-sleeved shirts and blouses<\/li>\n<li>wear light-colored clothing&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>be aware that early mornings and evenings are times when many mosquitoes bite<\/li>\n<li>check the environment around your house to get rid of objects with standing water (i.e., plastic toys) as they can be breeding grounds for mosquitoes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you are looking for alternatives to DEET, you could also try <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health\/kinds-of-natural-mosquito-repellant\">natural mosquito repellents<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p class=\"inmi-source\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health-news\/beer-body-scent-deet-may-attract-mosquitos\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">News \u2013 World \u2013 Canada \u2013 rss.app #1 \u2192 manual entry<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Some people are more prone to mosquito bites than others, and scientists may have figured out why. Jaromir\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>Researchers have identified several reasons why mosquitoes are more attracted to some people than others.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The scent you give off through carbon dioxide\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15184015,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[103],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15129516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-canada"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/15129516-mosquito-header-1296x728-1-1.jpg",1296,728,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/15129516-mosquito-header-1296x728-1-1-300x169.jpg",300,169,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/15129516-mosquito-header-1296x728-1-1-620x348.jpg",620,348,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/15129516-mosquito-header-1296x728-1-1-768x431.jpg",768,431,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/15129516-mosquito-header-1296x728-1-1-940x528.jpg",940,528,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/15129516-mosquito-header-1296x728-1-1.jpg",1296,728,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/15129516-mosquito-header-1296x728-1-1.jpg",1296,728,false],"post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/15129516-mosquito-header-1296x728-1-1-998x665.jpg",998,665,true],"ignition_item":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/15129516-mosquito-header-1296x728-1-1-670x446.jpg",670,446,true],"ignition_item_lg":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/15129516-mosquito-header-1296x728-1-1.jpg",1296,728,false],"ignition_article_media":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/15129516-mosquito-header-1296x728-1-1-510x510.jpg",510,510,true],"ignition_minicart_item":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/15129516-mosquito-header-1296x728-1-1-160x160.jpg",160,160,true],"profile_24":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/15129516-mosquito-header-1296x728-1-1-24x24.jpg",24,24,true],"profile_48":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/15129516-mosquito-header-1296x728-1-1-48x48.jpg",48,48,true],"profile_96":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/15129516-mosquito-header-1296x728-1-1-96x96.jpg",96,96,true],"profile_150":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/15129516-mosquito-header-1296x728-1-1-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"profile_300":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/15129516-mosquito-header-1296x728-1-1-300x300.jpg",300,300,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"news.iNthacity","author_link":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/author\/atombo\/"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/articles\/news\/canada\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Canada<\/a>","tag_info":"Canada","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15129516","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15129516"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15129516\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15129520,"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15129516\/revisions\/15129520"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15184015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15129516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15129516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15129516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}