(WETM)- Do you feel like mosquitos just love to bite you more than others? Well it could be because of your blood type. According to ‘Healthline’, People with different blood types have different sets of specific proteins (antigens) on the surface of their red blood cells. Research found that mosquitoes preferentially fed on people with blood type O. People with Type O blood are more than universal donors. They’re also “tastier” to mosquitoes. In fact, according to a study, certain species of the insect landed on the skin of people with Type O blood almost twice as often as they did on the skin of those with Type A.  

You may be wondering what about your blood type draws mosquitoes to you? People secrete certain chemicals through their skin. The chemicals you produce will depend on your DNA, which also determines your blood type. There are four different blood types:

• A: only A antigen on the surface of red blood cells
• B: only B antigen on the surface of red blood cells
• AB: both A and B antigen on the surface of red blood cells
• O: no A or B antigen on the surface of red blood cells

What other factors attract mosquitos?

• According to Day, a person’s metabolic rate could also attract mosquitoes. The insects use carbon dioxide as a means of locating the source of their meal. The higher your metabolic rate, the more carbon dioxide you produce, making you more attractive to mosquitoes. This means people who have recently worked out, pregnant women or those who just have high resting metabolic rates, could be more attractive to mosquitoes.
• The clothes you choose to wear can impact whether you attract mosquitoes, too. Mosquitoes are very visual and are attracted to darker colors.

In addition, we tend to bare more skin in the summer, which gives mosquitoes more surface area of skin to land on, bite and feed. Help your self out from getting bitten by wearing clothing that covers you up, but of course doesn’t make you too hot.