"Turn off the light, it will attract them", "bad luck, you have mosquito skin"... Let anyone who has never heard these phrases in summer (scratching their seventh puncture of the left calf) , raise your hand.
Does light really play a role in the mosquito's approach?
Is the latter really attracted to certain bloods and not others?
Many received ideas hover over the star insect of the summer season.
Two experts enlighten us to disentangle the true from the false.
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Mosquitoes prefer sweet skins
Fake.
"It's not a story of sugar. What attracts them is the CO2 that we exhale through breathing", explains Dr. Habib Chabane, allergist in Paris.
But another component, resulting from the degradation of the metabolism and secreted by the skin, also plays a very important role: "For the mosquito to spot you, it needs CO2 but also lactic acid. It is this famous mixture present on the skin which will make the mosquito want to bite", analyzes the specialist.
On the other hand, there are indeed types of skin that mosquitoes do not like: "Certain compounds excreted by the skin act as repellents, and some people make more of them than others. Therefore, we are unequal in the face of bites", recognizes Dr. Habib Chabane.
Only female mosquitoes bite
True.
They are indeed the culprits: "Only the female has a trunk that is rigid enough to be able to pass through the skin of a human. And she needs our blood all the more since it will allow her eggs to mature. “, assures Dr. Habib Chabane.
Thus, this protein supplement proves to be essential for the survival of the species, because the male mosquito, which forages only the nectar of flowers, cannot participate in it.
An (almost) valid reason to let yourself be bitten.
Mosquito bracelets are effective
Fake.
"They are not more effective. In reality, few products really work, they are all in the same boat," says Madeleine Epstein, allergist in Paris.
And according to Dr. Habib Chabane, only one natural trick would work to scare away mosquitoes: the draft.
"The latter disturbs mosquitoes a lot. A fan positioned in front of your bed is therefore the best solution for spending a night without bites", advises Dr. Chabane.
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Perspiration attracts them
True,
but mosquitoes love some of its components more precisely: "The waste products contained in sweat, such as lactic acid or ammonia (substance responsible for bad odors), strongly attract mosquitoes", says Dr Habib Shabane.
Result, if you have just finished your run and it is dark, do not wait to take a shower.
Lemongrass is an excellent repellent
Fake.
At the risk of disappointing some, lemongrass is not effective against mosquitoes.
"It certainly has a slight repellent effect, but it is absolutely not 100% effective," says Dr. Habib Chabane.
Whether in spray, lotions, creams or candles, do not count on it to protect you from bites.
Give more preference to products based on natural ingredients, such as essential oils.
Do not scratch the sting
True,
“because the more you scratch your bite, the more you will want to scratch it,” warns Dr. Madeleine Epstein.
The risk is then to infect the wound with its nails, and to increase the reaction of the body: "By injecting its saliva into the blood, the mosquito releases inflammatory proteins. This has the effect of causing violent itching", reports Dr. Habib Chabane.
It takes a hundred mosquito bites to be desensitized
But, some lucky people do not react to bites: "Some believe that they don't get bitten because they don't have "mosquito skin". But that's not true: everyone gets bitten. The wound is just invisible to the naked eye, because their body is used to it”, informs Dr. Madeleine Epstein.
They use our blood for food
Fake.
Throughout the year, mosquitoes feed exclusively on fruit and flower nectar.
It is only during the laying period that the females change their mode of feeding: "At this time, the female mosquitoes need blood for their eggs. It is therefore a kind of food supplement", indicates Dr. Habib Chabane.
They appreciate children's skin more
Fake.
Children are just less immune than adults: "They react more to mosquito bites, but that doesn't mean they get bitten more than adults," says Dr. Madeleine Epstein.
Thus, this hypersensitivity decreases with age, and we perceive less and less mosquito bites on the skin.
Mosquitoes bite mostly at night.
True and false.
Although it is true that mosquitoes come out more after dark, they can be active at other times: "When they are hungry, they do not hesitate to bite in broad daylight. So, if the environment is favorable (like in the metro where the heat rubs shoulders with stagnant water), mosquitoes multiply and attack the day", warns Dr Habib Chabane.
Of course, the schedule also varies depending on the species: the tiger mosquito, for example, is used to biting during the day, while the culex operates more at night.
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They are attracted to light
False,
and yet it is not for lack of having believed in it for years. "Mosquitoes are not at all attracted by light, but by the carbon dioxide present in our homes. It is therefore human activity which attracts them, since CO2 is produced when we walk, eat and breathe", points out Dr. Habib Chabane.
From now on, you can therefore turn off the light in your bathroom and favor the barbecue to attract mosquitoes... while impressing your friends.
*Originally published in July 2017, this article has been updated.