Mosquitoes seem to like some people more than others. Scientists the Virginia Tech university the USA believe the smell our body could attract mosquitoes. This includes our natural body odour and smells soaps and perfumes. Some these smells could also help to reduce the number bites we get in the summer. The researchers said mosquitoes seemed to prefer soap a flowery smell. The lead researcher said over 60 per cent of the smells coming our body come from soap rather than natural body odours. He said that changing the soap we use could change how attractive we are to mosquitoes. Soap a neutral or no smell could make us less tasty the creatures.
The researchers tested the effects mosquitoes four popular brands soap. They analyzed the smell different people after they used each soap, and when they did not wash themselves. The researchers recreated the soapy and unwashed smells and put them two different cups a cage full of mosquitoes. The insects seemed to prefer the flowery smells the soapy cups. Mosquitoes may be humans because they are attracted floral and fruity smells. One researcher gave some advice. He said: "I would choose a coconut-scented soap if I wanted to reduce mosquito attraction." Mosquitoes are the world's deadliest creatures. The diseases they carry kill 725,000 people a year.
