The Worst Food And Drink To Consume If You Hate Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes really do have favourites, even though they’re probably not as fussed as you think by your blood type.

Some research has shown, for instance, that mosquitoes prefer pregnant people.

That’s probably partly because they emit more carbon dioxide, which we know mozzies love, than non-pregnant people.

And as it turns out, how we eat and drink might matter too.

Beer drinkers are 44% more likely to attract mosquitoes, a 2025 paper found.

The research, which was conducted at a festival, found that those who smoked cannabis and had slept with someone the night before were also more appealing to the flies (35% and 46%, respectively).

Meanwhile, another paper found that eating bananas seemed to make mosquitoes likelier to bite mosquitoes. Grapes didn’t seem to make a difference.

Some also believe that salty, spicy, and sweet food can make you irresistible to the pests, though there’s no firm evidence to suggest this is the case.

Other factors that could bring all the bugs to your yard include your body odour, the sebum (oil) you excrete, and even the colours you wear.

Higher body temperatures might make you more appealing to mosquitoes too.

If you’re one of the unlucky people mosquitoes just seem to love, there are some things you can do to help.

Firstly, the festival study found that people who wore sunscreen were 48% less attractive to mosquitoes.

Covering up, keeping your windows shut, and even wearing white may all help too.

But speaking to New Scientist, the University of Sydney’s mosquito expert Cameron Webb said that proven mosquito repellants, like DEET sprays, are our best bet.

He told the publication, “The reality is that if we just reminded ourselves to put on mosquito repellent and spent less time thinking about why mosquitoes bite us, we’d all probably receive fewer bites and lower our risk of mosquito-borne disease”.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) recommends a product with at least 50% DEET as a first line of defence.

“If DEET is not tolerated, use of a repellent containing the highest strength formulation available of either icaridin (20%), eucalyptus citriodora oil, hydrated, cyclised or 3-ethlyaminopropionate is recommended,” they added.