Why are some people not bothered by mosquitoes?

most of my life I wasn't bothered by skeeters.. I also couldn't wear a watch, as I had too much electricity in my system and they would always quit. (and no "face that would stop a clock" jokes, heard em all already) LOL

A few years ago, I had a seziure, and all the sudden, watches don't stop when I wear them but the dang skeeters bite me now...

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The anitcoagulant that mosquitos inject into you before they start sucking is what is supposed to cause the itching. I had always heard the same thing you said in your second paragraph about the allergic reaction or resistance there of.

wow. that is peculiar

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They l-o-v-e me. I can not walk outside when the sun is going down. It doesn't matter if I am dirty, clean, cold, hot. I could be standing around 10 people and I will get eaten up. As soon as they bite me it stings like crazy, swells up the size of half dollars, and then itches for days. If it is really bad it actually bruises when it heals. I can not walk out of the house without bug spray on. Sometimes they still bite me if I missed one little patch of skin. I am one of those whiney people. I envy anyone who is not allergic to them.

Sketos love my husband, always have. We've been together about 30 years. During that time he has gone from alcholic to total "one the wagon" to moderite imbibing, and there has been no difference in how they were attracted to him.

He also loves garlic, and that does not seem to make a difference. He's not into sweets either.

The one thing about my husband that is noticably different is he has very little oder. Might seem strange, but even if he has been out working in the sun, and is dripping wet with sweat, he barely smells. I'm allergic to most perfumes, and he is physically sensitive to a lot of "additives" so we have an almost "fragrance free" household.

I think I react worse to actual bites than he does. He rarely complains about itching from a bite, just being bitten.

We can be outside with a group, and my DH will be the one the sketos prefer. You can actually see them buzzing around him. If he walks a bit apart, they go after him. Niether of our kids have this problem (neither of them are near as "oderless" as thier father is).

At least now that we live in SD, we don't have near the sketos that we had in MN or WI.

Cathy

I get bitten about average I think. The bites itch a little but I can usually ignore them. I will tolerate being "allergic" to mosquitoes, because I am have a VERY high tolerance for poison ivy.

Kayleigh

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I used to be allergic, when I was a kid growing up in Alaska. Lots of mosquitoes; I'd get bitten all over and itch like crazy. (They even bite through jeans.)

When we returned to Alaska to live after I was an adult, I had almost no reaction to the mosquitoes there, although their humming around at night still drives me crazy. But the funny thing is that when we moved here, to Eastern Oregon, I again started having an allergic reaction to mosquito bites. Different saliva in different strains of mosquitoes, I guess. Thankfully, we don't have nearly as many here as we did in Alaska.

That thing about the watches stopping is interesting. Grandma says that one of her grandmothers couldn't wear a watch -- it would always stop.

Kathleen

One thing that works to keep skeeters at bay and to take their itch out after they bite, is to bathe with Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Castille Soap.

DD18 and I use Dr. Bronners, DH and DD13 use a more mainstream commercial soap and they are the skeeter magnets.

Well I have my theory why they hate me. We can all be sitting outside talking and all of a sudden everyone says, "We're going inside!" "Why?" I ask. "Cause we're getting eaten up." they scream.
They chew my family up but I never get bitten. My theory is I have very oily skin and skeeters hate oily skin. My husband's theory is that I'm not as sweet as him and my daughter. But those two have dry skin also.
I eat banana's but don't eat sulphor, I have a problem with anemia since the birth of my 4th child 17 years ago. I don't eat garlic unless it's in a dish and then everyone else in my family eats it too and they still get bitten while I don't.
So that's my theory and until someone else comes up with one I like better, than I'm sticking to it

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The skeeters up here are wimps, they don't bother me that bad. But the ones from when I lived in south texas/houston. ... They had me to the point I hated going outside. Still have scars from some of those bites

I am from Minnesota, the state bird there is the mosquitoe.. I moved to Arkansas about ten years ago and have not seen one since I've been here

I think those who get frustrated, begin swatting & jumping around are exhaling more carbon dioxide so naturally more mosquitoes will be attracted to that person. Sorry.

I've heard if you eat vinegar, like on your salad, that it changes your body chemistry over time (kinda like the sugar thing) and mosquitoes will not bite.

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I can't say why my family gets eaten a live by Skeeters and I don't. I have never been, even as a very small child been bitten by skeeters. Its the same for fleas. Fleas don't bite me and devour the rest of the family. Somehow blood suckers don't like me. We went on a hike one year and of course hiked it in the middle of skeeter season, by the time we got back to camp my DH and kids were covered in bites, I didn't get bit once. Wish I knew the answer to this one because the family would be much better off. Someone could sit outside with me at dusk, instead of in the house.

Growing up back east I was eaten alive by mosquitos... but "something
happened" and I've only had a couple of bites in the last 12 years; we don't have so many out here, but DD manages to get bitten regularly. I always
attributed the resistance to spending a year in the tropics, that I got bitten enough the mosquitos gave up... but there were other lifestyle changes too during that whole period - maybe drinking red wine keeps them away?

I'm grateful. I wish not-bothered-by-bloodsucking-insects extented to ticks and included the dog and cats, though.

We live in a swamp, our lawn peters out into a lovely wetland about 25 yards from the front door.

We are full of frogs, turtles of many kinds, massasauga rattlers (yes, the DNR loves us and loves to come out and study our snakes ), we even have a resident bittern.

It's a wonderful place but the downside is the BUGS.. they drive my poor husband crazy, but he is lilly white with skin soft as a newborn baby's bum (it's SO unfair, a 38 year old man should not have skin I would sell my teeth for )

I am a little more...er..weather worn, but I'm not sure if tht's why I have so much less of a problem with them than he does.

They do bite me, but not nearly as much as him, and I don't react to the bites at all.

Some variables..

I eat a LOT of garlic (but that really doesn't hold water as hubby eats what I cook, so naturaly he does too.)

I hate bananas

My body temp runs a little cold.

I stop watches too

I'm British..maybe I taste funny?

Of course that is the reason. Even Skeeters know that Brits can't cook!

Nikki

Ah...but I'm a freak of nature, a rare bird indeed... a Brit that actually CAN cook..and very well I've been told ( I used to have a catering business and my mashed potatoes are legendary)

I think there are about 3 of us in the known world

I have heard that the reaction to mosquito bites is a (common) allergic reation. I get bitten, but don't have any swelling. I used to, but no longer do. Why is a mystery to me. Maybe I have just outgrown it.

I have heard that the color blue (of your clothing) and sweat are both attractants. But, my DH was getting eaten alive the other day, he was wearing reds with black so go figure. My son gets quite a few bites....of course, both of them are big sweet eaters and naturally a kid would "die" without bananas, haha I don't get many, compared to both of them....but I don't eat a lot of sweets in the evenings either.

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