Book 11, Question 41
How Do Mosquitoes Find People?
Female mosquitoes find people by following several clues at once! They sense the carbon dioxide in our breath from far away. Then they use smell, warmth, and movement to get closer.
More fun facts
- Mosquitoes find people partly by sensing the carbon dioxide in our breath.
- They can detect carbon dioxide from as far as 30 meters (100 feet) away.
- Mosquitoes use an organ near the mouth, called a maxillary palp, to sense carbon dioxide.
- Body heat also helps guide mosquitoes to a target.
- About 20 percent of people are especially attractive to mosquitoes and get bitten more often.
Sources: Smithsonian Magazine, Scientific American
Questions kids ask
Why do mosquitoes bite me more than my friend?
Some people are mosquito magnets, and research suggests they stay that way.