Mosquitoes detect their host using three primary senses:
Sight: Mosquitoes see movement of their host
Infrared: Mosquitoes can detect body heat
Chemical Signals: Mosquitoes can detect traces of carbon monoxide and lactic acid up to 100ft away
There are many theories surrounding why certain people tend to attract mosquitoes (some are pretty outlandish), however, verified testing in a controlled setting has given us the following conclusions:
Mosquitoes are attracted to Carbon Dioxide and lactic acid. Therefore larger individuals who emit greater amounts of CO2 are more susceptible to mosquitoes. Movement and activity also contribute to greater attraction as an individual is more likely to generate higher quantities of CO2 and lactic acid.
The color of one’s clothing is also a contributing factor that determines mosquito attraction. Lighter colored clothing attracts fewer mosquitoes than dark clothing in recent studies.
Mosquitoes are also attracted to foot odor and sweat.