Health Topics – Johns Hopkins Medicine Podcasts
Jun 29, 2026 · 1 min · 3 segments
Mosquitoes seem to practice discernment when they choose which human they’ll bite. Christopher Potter, a mosquito expert at Johns Hopkins, says smell brings them in, with women who smell enticing…
Elizabeth TracyThe sense of smell for insects is pretty good.
Our human odor bouquet, perhaps, is because female body temperature sites may be slightly higher.
Higher body temperature, they're attracted to.
If your body temperature is higher, you're also then giving off more odors that they can pick up on.
The same for pregnant women.
It's thought that body temperature tends to be slightly higher as well.
Other things that increase attraction is alcohol consumption, unfortunately.
Having a beer during your outdoor picnic has its consequences.
It kind of flushes your skin, makes you slightly warmer.
It could also be that you're giving off more odors in your breath that the mosquito might be attracted to.
The sense of smell for insects is pretty good.
Our human odor bouquet, perhaps, is because female body temperature sites may be slightly higher.
Higher body temperature, they're attracted to.
If your body temperature is higher, you're also then giving off more odors that they can pick up on.
The same for pregnant women.
It's thought that body temperature tends to be slightly higher as well.
Other things that increase attraction is alcohol consumption, unfortunately.
Having a beer during your outdoor picnic has its consequences.
It kind of flushes your skin, makes you slightly warmer.
It could also be that you're giving off more odors in your breath that the mosquito might be attracted to.
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