Texas sees surge of mosquitoes after recent floods — and they prefer this blood type

The recent floods that swept through the Texas Hill Country and Central Texas left widespread destruction in their wake, inundating homes, roads and natural landscapes.

As floodwaters recede, they often leave behind debris, stagnant pools and waterlogged areas — conditions that provide ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes. This lingering debris becomes a harbor for mosquitoes, raising concerns about increased mosquito populations and the potential spread of mosquito-borne diseases in communities already struggling to recover.

Austin Public Health officials have already warned of an active mosquito season ahead, noting that mosquito activity is starting earlier and lasting longer than in years past, the Austin American-Statesman reported in May.

"Mosquitoes are the deadliest animal on the planet," Bethany Bolling told KXAN in late May. She oversees mosquito virus testing at the Texas Department of State Health Service.

Experts say the best way to avoid mosquito-borne illness like West Nile or dengue fever is simple: don’t get bitten. Prevention is the best method to ensure that.

But for some people, that’s easier said than done — mosquitoes may be drawn to certain blood types and other body traits that are beyond your control.

Do mosquitoes prefer a blood type?

A 2019 study published in the American Journal of Entomology found that mosquitoes do, in fact, show a preference for certain blood types.

In the experiment, mosquitoes were given access to feeders containing A, B, AB and O blood. They overwhelmingly favored the O-type feeder.

These findings align with a 2004 study, which showed that mosquitoes were significantly more likely to land on people with type O blood, whether positive or negative, than on those with other blood types.

At the same time, there isn't one that mosquitoes will avoid. However, similar studies have shown that mosquitoes are generally less attracted to individuals with Group A blood — positive and negative.

What other body traits attract mosquitoes?

Body odor and sweat

Mosquitoes are highly sensitive to body odor, particularly to compounds like lactic acid, ammonia and uric acid found in sweat, according to a post by Our Blood Institute. These chemical cues help mosquitoes locate hosts and are influenced by factors such as diet, hygiene, health conditions and genetics.

Some specialized diets aim to reduce levels of uric acid and other similar compounds in the body. These are typically prescribed for managing conditions such as gout or kidney stones, rather than for avoiding mosquito bites.

Because these chemical cues are also influenced by our genetics, changing diet may not be impactful.

Breath

According to Our Blood Institute, mosquitoes are also attracted to the carbon dioxide that we exhale when we breathe. The more heavily we breathe, the more carbon dioxide we produce.

Body heat

Mosquitoes are attracted to sources of warmth and typically drawn to parts of the body where heat is emitted most, such as the head and neck. These areas often have higher surface temperatures, making them prime targets for mosquito bites.

Are mosquitoes attracted to certain clothing colors?

Biology professor at the University of Washington, Jeffrey Riffell, told Time Magazine last year that mosquitoes are drawn to scents and color. Certain colors excite them while others they find unattractive.

Mosquitoes are generally drawn to dark colors like black and navy, as well as bright, warm tones such as red and orange. In contrast, they tend to avoid lighter and muted shades like white, green and gray.

Do mosquitoes bite dogs and other animals?

Mosquitoes can and do bite other mammals, including dogs. This could lead to heartworm and even serious diseases like West Nile virus and eastern equine encephalitis in our furry friends.

Tips for avoiding mosquito bites

The very productive female mosquito can lay 100 to 200 eggs in about an inch of water. It takes about a day for those eggs to hatch, creating new mosquitoes that will bite you.

Here are some steps you can take to make this summer a more enjoyable mosquito season for you.

1. Don't make your yard a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

• Dump out any source of standing water: flower pots, tires, buckets, toys, garbage cans, kiddie pools.
• Regularly clean out anything that needs to have water, such as a bird bath. Use mosquito dunks or mosquito fish in ponds to eat the mosquito larvae. Make sure rain barrels are covered.
• Move potted plants indoors. Create drains in planter boxes to avoid standing water lurking there.
• Look for drainage problems in your yard and fix them with a French drain.
• Plant lemon balm, mint, chrysanthemums, marigolds, basil, garlic, eucalyptus, lavender, rosemary and lemongrass around your yard. Or use oils and candles with those scents to discourage mosquitoes.
• Scatter coffee grounds in the soil wherever there have been drainage problems. They deprive the eggs in the soil of oxygen.
• Install lights around the yard that mosquitoes don't like, such as LED lights, yellow bug lights or sodium lamps.
• Use a fan or fans on the patio to discourage mosquitoes from flocking there.
• Hire a professional service to treat your yard. Make sure they know whether you have pets or kids crawling around in the yard.

2. Avoid their most active times.

Mosquitoes' prime dining times are dawn and dusk. That doesn't mean you won't see them in the heat of the day, they just aren't as prevalent.

During peak times, though, you'll want to make sure to put on your armor — repellant and long sleeves and long pants. Lighter-colored clothing is also less attractive to mosquitoes. Make that clothing lighter in weight to deal with summer heat, but be aware that mosquitoes can penetrate holes in the clothing with their proboscis.

3. Pick the right bug spray

The Austin American-Statesman tested 16 insect repellants. Some contained DEET, while others were all-natural ingredients.

In that experiment, it was confirmed that the more DEET, the better they generally worked. Wristbands and wearable fans were not as effective.

• DEET products can be used on anyone 2 months and older.
• Products with lemon eucalyptus oil should not be used on kids younger than 3 years old unless it has less than 30% lemon eucalyptus oil.
• Kids younger than 10 should not apply repellent themselves. Instead of spraying it directly on young kids, spray it into your hands and then rub it into their skin. The same technique applies to faces of all ages.
• Avoid spraying in eyes, noses, mouths and ears.
• You can spray exposed skin and clothing, but avoid spraying underneath clothing.
• Avoid open wounds and cuts, and avoid overspraying.
• You need only light coverage.
• Spray repellent outside rather than inside and not near food.
• Avoid inhaling these sprays. Wash your hands after applying repellents.
• After using an insect repellent, it's recommended that you wash it off when you're done for the day and change out of the clothes you sprayed with repellent.

The Environmental Protection Agency regulates products that have these ingredients:

• DEET
• Picaridin (known as KBR 3023 and icaridin outside the U.S.)
• IR3535
• Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE)
• Para-menthane-diol (PMD)
• 2-undecanone

You can find insect repellants that have been regulated by the EPA and are considered safe for use by humans at epa.gov/insect-repellents/find-repellent-right-you.