Do mosquitos actually bite some people more than others? - Maria Elena De Obaldia
Explore the science of what attracts mosquitos, and find out why mosquitos bite some people more than others.
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Some swear they’re cursed to be hunted by mosquitos while their close-by companions are regularly left unscathed. Are mosquitos really attracted to some people more than others? And if so, is there anything we can do about it? Maria Elena De Obaldia digs into what factors make people tasty targets for these pesky insects.
Lesson by Maria Elena De Obaldia, directed by Anton Bogaty.
This video made possible in collaboration with Gates Ventures
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View full lesson: ed.ted.com/lessons/do-mosquit...
Dig deeper with additional resources: ed.ted.com/lessons/do-mosquit...
Animator's website: antonbogaty.com
Music: www.campstudio.co
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Пікірлер: 437
In my country, when a girl asks why do mosquito only bite her, it is customary for someone to say ''Because you are the sweetest.''
@wingspantt
8 ай бұрын
We now know it's because they are the most acidic
@9lifer
8 ай бұрын
Which country is that?
@navu-verma
8 ай бұрын
@@9liferno doubt, INDIA
@mimi3570
8 ай бұрын
@@9liferquite a lot of countries actually
@KnightsofGaming2016
8 ай бұрын
Aaww, that sounds romantic! 😊
So what I'm hearing is, mosquitos are especially attracted to me because I smell different, and we don't know why that is or how to fix it yet, so I'm not any closer to escaping being a human blood bag 🥲
@bt5294
8 ай бұрын
I have just started using “no bite me”, which is a natural insect repellent based on essential oils. I was SHOCKED when it worked (I am not an essential oil person). This video explains it since the oils mask my smell.
@elvinxcs
8 ай бұрын
I feel you. Moreover, it left dark spots on my skin as if there were severe acnes on my legs 😞
I always used to ask myself those questions. "Do I get bitten because insects like my skin? Or because they don't?"
@kokoalwadi6096
8 ай бұрын
This will blow up just like my mosquito bite
@paleoph6168
8 ай бұрын
@@kokoalwadi6096💀
@alanmichael8454
8 ай бұрын
@@kokoalwadi6096 💀
@estalciang
8 ай бұрын
@@kokoalwadi6096💀
@CoOlKyUbI96
8 ай бұрын
@@kokoalwadi6096💀
I could be covered in clothing from neck to toe and mosquitoes still get me. I look like I have a disease. I appreciate the video validating that I rightfully don't want to camp because I don't want West Nile disease or Malaria
@ayannaaah6563
8 ай бұрын
mosquitos bite me through JEANS its so annoying.
@thegalhorowitz
Ай бұрын
prob your blood is like wagyu beef, super genetics😂 Thats what I tell myself. High metabolism, rich skin microbiome etc
I've been lucky my entire life in being one of those people that mosquitos just seem to not go for. I've even seen many times a mosquito land on me, attempt to bite me, fail and fly away. Needless to say it's been awesome for me especially when i'm travelling or outdoors, but it's been difficult for the people around me.
@isaacsimpson8098
8 ай бұрын
fail to bite you? how thick is your skin man?!
@FMFF_
8 ай бұрын
Same! It rained too much recently & mosquitoes are becoming a problem where I live but I still haven't found a bite. My mom even saw one on my arm & tried to kill it, but I didn't find a bite bump there
@_Ike
8 ай бұрын
I'm right there with ya. Sometimes I'll have little chigger bites or gnats flying around my eyes, but I'm not sure I've ever had a mosquito bite.
@GuillaumeRanquet
8 ай бұрын
You are probably being bitten but do not have any reaction to the mosquito saliva. The hitch we get from a mosquito bite is an allergic reaction. I take anti histamine medication when I have too many bites to manage and it keeps the itching at a manageable level.
@MaleusMaleficarum
8 ай бұрын
@@GuillaumeRanquetI've watched countless mosquitoes land on me... not even attempt to bite and just fly away. Same with my sister. But, we both have children who are mosquito magnets
It was a baby mosquito's first day to fly out from home. When the mosquito came back home later that day, the father mosquito asked, "How was your journey?" The baby mosquito replied, "It went great, everyone was clapping for me!"
@vihrintu
8 ай бұрын
😂 Hope he won't return the next time...
Yes, all my life. There could be dozens of people around me and ALL of them will just feed on me. Like the video said at the beginning, I do feel cursed lol
As a person with O+ve blood group, mosquitoes hunt me everywhere, anywhere they can! I am literally inside a mosquito net as I am commenting 😂 Saving my blood 😂
@MaleusMaleficarum
8 ай бұрын
It's not blood typing at play
@Channel_25394
8 ай бұрын
did you even watch the video?
@abc_cba
8 ай бұрын
I've read it in some newspaper that mosquitoes 🦟 are more attracted to O blood type.
I love this animation style. Even the microscopic meanies look cute! 😊
I found one thing very curious: in my country, I am the one in my family that gets bitten the most and my mom was the one who was less bitten. We all have the same blood type. I am a vegetarian and my parents (and my brother) are omnivorous. When we went to Italy, I was NEVER bitten and my mother was almost ever bitten, which we found odd because it is not the usual way of things. Maybe mosquitoes with different nationalities have different food preferences? 🤣🤣🤣 JK, but I found it hilarious and I am considering moving to Italy ahahah
@joseywales6168
8 ай бұрын
they totally do have preferences, my friends from europe visited during the summer and we went hiking- I ended up with tons of bites and they had none at all
@christopherantonyjacob4794
8 ай бұрын
Temperature difference between two places might affect your mosquito signal i guess
@gloriav7646
8 күн бұрын
It's the living area. Dense forest areas are full of mosquitos, hence the camping. Anytime I visit my family down the street I get bit worse than by my house, in a more open area. Any city area will have a million fewer bugs (and animals) than a more natural area ever will
Praying and hoping we continue to find solutions❤ and Rest in Peace to the beautiful lives lost to mosquito-borne diseases, God be with them and all their families, friends and loved ones, and all of us❤
@ahitler5592
8 ай бұрын
America invented diseases
So I just need to stop breathing. Great.
Thr world is full of suffering
@naifalrabeei
8 ай бұрын
And joy
@DadsCigaretteRun
8 ай бұрын
@@naifalrabeeibut while you are enjoying yourself and get bit by a misquito reminds you how terrible life can be 😂
@naifalrabeei
8 ай бұрын
@@DadsCigaretteRun no it's just a bummer that's all
@urbestcowboy
8 ай бұрын
bro are you good?
@TheFalseShepphard
7 ай бұрын
Solution: No more humans, No more suffering
I had two electric swatter in my house as mosquito only targets me as their host. whenever my mom, brother, dad are present the mosquito always choose me. sometimes at night when I'm about to sleep, mosquito came close to my ear. I wait until their sound get's louder (meaning they are close to my ear), and swat it to my pillow without even looking. I mastered such skills.
3:45 that's just too much 😂
I am a mosquito magnet, and I was allergic to their bites for years. The bites would swell and itch on and off for three days. It was torture. I spent this past week killing mosquitoes in my bedroom. I received multiple bites, and realized that the itching stopped within 20 minutes and did not return! Hallelujah! And I’ve had a peaceful 2 days with no mosquitoes around.
@Lomogrammaton
8 ай бұрын
QuiT eating so much sugar
Curiosity when fed with scientific explanation is wholesome 💯
I've never been bitten by either mosquitos or fleas yet my brother and cousin will be covered in bites. Even when we'd be in the same area for the same amount of time.
@mysterio952
8 ай бұрын
U drink much alcohol
@abrarahmad-mw4dk
8 ай бұрын
Bro got rejected by mosquitos 💀
@itsjustbrandy4290
8 ай бұрын
@@mysterio952 I am Irish and love to drink but no, this particular time I was 9 and we were camping.
you guys have no idea at all about how much I learn with these videos 😮
Something I've noticed: It's easier to slowly move up to a musquito (or any other insect) than to quickly move towards them. You can crush a musquito easilly if you just do it... very... slowly.
@LutasticLu
19 күн бұрын
Their time perception is faster than humans, which allows them to react quickly, the tradeoff being that they are more vulnerable to being sneaked
so happy mosquitos rarely bother me :)
Now, I have found a way to troll people on social media. In Every Video, I will say " Mosquitoes love you."
@AnimealPlanet
8 ай бұрын
Let's see their reactions. 😊
So it's true after all! In Indonesia we call someone like this "sweet blooded" but I never knew the explanation until today. Thanks, TedEx!
@mcsy98
7 ай бұрын
hey we say the same thing in the philippines too! 😅 i get that often whenever i complain about all the mosquito bites on my arm lol
@arivanuaranu
7 ай бұрын
@@mcsy98 ahahaha how do you say that in your language?
@shar8884
7 ай бұрын
My mom tells me this and we are from Trinidad 😂
@arivanuaranu
7 ай бұрын
@@shar8884 interesting that it’s worldwide!
Ted Ed never disappoints
the satisfaction level at 04:20 !! 💯
Awesome as always thanks
11k views in 42 minutes. Good job, Ted-Ed!
Great timing
I think it may be a lifestyle change at play, but when I was younger I could've sworn I was a mosquito magnet. I was more active and liked the outdoors more than I do now, but I do know that when I was younger, I sweat earlier than others (if you had me and a non-magnet person do the same outdoor activity in the same place, I would start sweating first). I still sweat often due to stress, but I'm rarely outside and exposed. However, I now wonder if stress sweat and work or heat sweat are different to mosquitoes. I have heard that stress sweat smells worse, so a chemical difference could exist, but I really want to know if mosquitoes can pick up on that difference and have a preference. I also wonder if the change may be due to me growing up. I know that genes, or at least how they are expressed, can change over time, so maybe that's it.
Omg the animation throughout this video is tremendous! Shades of Chuck Jones, Genndy Tartakovsky and some Rick & Morty. So fun and full of character!
Being in Thailand for a month and have 10 bites everyday :D
such good animation and just so informative - answering the question i’m always asking myself ❤❤🎉🎉
I did a research project about this and the most likely reasons are: body temperature and the hormones your body produces (which is why pregnant women get stung more than non-pregnant women)! And yes, CO2 output. Some people also have a genetic immunity to mosquito itching/swelling or can gain one by taking anti-allergy medications for long periods of time. So at the end of the day, it’s all genetics (hormones and naturally high body temperature) and environment (CO2 output and increased body temperature). Not random!
Thanks for the knowledge 🫂
It gone in to my ears!
Mosquitos recognize my power and want a taste.
I knew it 🦟👿 The quote in the beginning made me 😁
Nice info
Thanks - this could help my brother :) He is a mosquito magnet 👀
Yup, mosquitos really love me. Cause he/she sings for me 24×7 and I keep clapping for the performance.True love between us.
I've read that mosquitoes prefer type 0 blood. Which is no surprise to me because I have that type and I get bitten every summer while my mom who has type B doesn't
@MaleusMaleficarum
8 ай бұрын
Nah... type O here... I'm almost mosquito immune
@davea6314
8 ай бұрын
I have type O- blood and I get bitten by mosquitoes.
One interesting thing I’ve noticed is that my “mosquito attractiveness” is the average of my parents’. I get bit more than my mom but less than my dad, so whatever genetic factor is at play is combining in me.
Being more acidic makes the mosquitos more attracted to you. When I eat sugar or drink more coffee I attract more of them. Also - my dad and I both suffer from heartburn and my mom is not - and not only mosquitos but bed bugs also prefer us to her.
@chatgpt4135
8 ай бұрын
And I guess mosquitoes are not attracted to me on menstruation, maybe because I am weak during those day, and Co2 output maybe lesser
im one of these mosquito magnets and what makes it a million times worse is the fact that im hyper-sensitive to bug bites/mosquito bites. my bites swell and scar for MONTHS and i despise it
I cover myself in a thin layer of fabric everytime I go camping. I never had much problem until I camped next to a stream with a wide pool. There were so many mosquitos! And I got bitten on top of my head, the first in like 10 years or so. I go camping every summer too.
3:45 My friends and family all know that mosquitoes love me... and my name happens to be Sally!!!
Good thing I’ve got SCA _(Sickle cell anemia)_
I felt itchy watching this
I used to think mosquitoes were attracted to people based on blood type, until I saw this video. Well I learnt something new today
Thank you for the explain about mosquito. It's brilliant to spread it. And then, i can share this video at every platform
As someone who just recovered from dengue YES THEY DO HAVE PREFERENCES 😤 Even if there's one mosquito in the room, it'll find and bite me.
Mosquito bites nowadays can cause concussion yesterday, one of them bit my friend in his head, but fortunately I was able to kill it with a shovel.
1:19 For real? Never heard that...
Watching this while battling a mosquito trying to sit on me was damn funny
My best friend claimed he never got bit by a mosquito in his life, or at least something close to that. I was never able to disprove it in our years of close friendship. Wonder if you have a possible explanation for that.
@JaniceDoe210
8 ай бұрын
I haven’t either . I never get bitten. I can be with people who have been bitten to pieces and I won’t have a single one. It’s really weird
@brunobbigdongzhong
8 ай бұрын
Lucky him
@BioTheHuman
7 ай бұрын
Someone in the comments proposed the ipothesis that maybe they don't have the raction to Mosquito saliva (which is what avtually causes the ithchiness). I think it's a good proposal. You could test by trapping a mosquito in a cup and putting it on your brother arm and notice if she gets full of blood.
Myself, my mom and my sister all rarely get bitten and can feel every time that a mosquito does bite. Not sure how we got that genetic lottery, but mosquito bites hurt more than the itchiness is bothersome.
I happen to be tormented by mosquitos way more than others when I visit family in my ancestral country. It sucks the joy out of the whole experience and is depressing.
as a kid my legs would be covered in bites and scar really dark, even if i never scratched them. but as i've gotten older mosquitos have distanced themselves from me a lot less. I'll take that as a win
Their love will not save them from the wrath of my right slipper
Literally swatting mosquitoes rn while watching this
There it is. What I knew for decades now. Damn it!
Just came out of dengue a week ago and I got this recommendation... what a dark comedy it is 😂😂 But very helpful ❤
I love it when the mosquito finally dies
Found a mosquito in my room while watching this. She must have enjoyed the video! 🪰
NOT THE TIEGER ATTACKING THE CAVEMAN LMFAOA
Best part of the video 4:19
The question I ask myself constantly
Every time I visited my grandma's house along with my cousins, I would get frustrated that I'm the only one getting bitten. Another case is my friend's house, how are they (friend and his family) not getting bitten?
I live in Rio de Janeiro, where Dengue fever is rampant these days. Mosquitos hate me because I take B-Complex and Brewers Yeast every day, and the smell my body emanates turnes tyem way off.
Having dengue twice proves it for me 😮💨
i just remembered one summer there were a ton of mosquitos in my house and all night my sister who was sleeping literally right across from me was just getting bitten all night while sleeping under the covers meanwhile i was sleeping with zero protection and didnt get bit once. then one time me and my friends were having an outdoors get together (a rarity for our group ngl) and i was wearing this short sundress while they were all wearing jeans and long sleeved shirts and had bug repellant on them and i was the only one to not get bitten that entire event
I have hypoglycemia and my sweat actually tastes sweet…yes, I licked me arm years ago. Mosquitos love me, gnats, etc., love me. I love the great outdoors and have, at times, explored it in a cloud of insects.
I thought those pesky mosquitoes in this video weren't gonna get hit. Satisfaction 😆
Really weird thing is that in the US (I live in VA), I don’t get bitten often, but when I visited Korea, the mosquitos were ruthless. They bit my fingers and toes and the bottoms of my feet. That first week was bad
@deoxyribonucleicAcidGaming
7 ай бұрын
Same here but in Florida, where everyone and everything is a mosquito magnet
@MikaelaKMajorHistory
7 ай бұрын
@@deoxyribonucleicAcidGaming forget Florida Man. We gotta watch out for Florida Mosquito
This is really cool, but what can we actually do about it? I am definitely a mosquito magnet and I’ve had dengue fever 3 times now. How can I avoid getting it another time? Are there any skin treatments that change the bacterial composition of my skin? Should I sleep colder so I don’t sweat?
1000 times yes. I get bitten so much it feels like
Perfect video timing, it's my second insomiac night due to mostiquitos attacks... lot of my interrogations are now solved 😂
To that question, my right leg says yes.
My dad is mosquito magnet. He is paranoid to leave any door that leads outside for one second.
Full lesson and additional resources aren’t working ??
Yes, and flys and moths too. They home right in on me in crowded restaurants. 🤔
I once heard that personal with O- blood group are more immune to mosquito diseases than other groups...... Is it just a myth or true? If I add some experience to it, I have 0- blood type and my friend have B+, once we both got biten by so many mosquitoes but only he got ill next day and I had only itching.
yeah i’m sadly a mosquito magnet, had like 15+ bites on a single leg within a 1 hour frame one time 😢 they’ll always try to get me and would even go for my face, fingers, or toes if i’m fully covered everywhere else at this point idk if they love me or hate me 😩
The quote at the beginning of the video is BS. The sound of a buzzing mosquito is not soothing at all, even if it can't get to you.
Sally never had a chance 🙏
I can have up to 30 mosquito bits on me during summer... They swell and itch a lot because I'm just sensitive to things in general, and there are scars here and there on my legs because I scratch them too much and they bleed. Mosquitos and their bits are ANNOYING :(
I heard blood types is a factor as well. IIRC, O- has the most attraction, while AB+ has the least. Is this correct, or has this been debunked?
People love having me in room when mosquitos are present. I sacrifice myself for others.
Props to the animators for drawing really accurate Cub Scout uniforms.
I've also heard that certain blood types attract more mosquitoes.
This video made me very ichy
Whenever there is me and my mom outside the mosquito always chooses me.
Make one about flies next?
"Helps save countless lives" I hope these lives also include our mosquito friends.
As a mosquito I would like to know who is leaking all our secrets ???
@davea6314
8 ай бұрын
🦟 ☠️ 🦟 ☠️
NAH, THE GUY AT 1:03 SWATTED A MOSQUITO, BUT THEN A LEPARD JUMPED ON HIM- 😭💀
1:01 When you're caught slipping:
Watching this while suffering from dengue..
Do mosquitoes have natural predators? Because those predators sure are slackin’ 😤
They're kind of neat if you picture the world through their eyes. They bite me so bad. We got those striped foreign ones now and they're faster,stronger and more prevalent