Why do bugs love me?

[thisAngelBites]

I'm the only one in the house who ends up with a bunch of flea bites if I don't dose the cats the very day they are due to get their flea meds.

Today I was standing in a chicken coop, treating the wood for mites (it's already been sprayed with several scary chemicals that were supposed to get rid of them completely), and I managed to get bit by a northern fowl mite.

I've read that the blood-seeking bugs are attracted to CO2 in breath. Am I breathing too much? More than other people??

Does anyone know more about this, or know anyone who remedied this by something other than slathering their skin with insect repellents?

Maybe they are all just groovin' on my mojo and there is nothing to be done but accept my fate as queen of the bugs.

[RaginCajun]

might be your scent! i use a product called thermacell when hunting, keeps the mosquitos at bay!

[lovbyts]

Your just to sweet. They hate me. I can walk into a swarm of mosquitos and dont have any bites, same with fleas. They eat my wife alive. Hmmm I may have to rethink that sweet comment. ;-)

[Times Roman]

at first, I thought your title said...

"Why do hugs bug me?"

[Capebuffalo]

Though mosquitoes are actually just like flies.They are sexually attracted to sugar (and they are hungry too) and the more you eat,the more they smell you. If you're talking about mosquitoes, there is a chemical scent created when you perspire that attracts them. This is why the white men who went to places like India and Africa were bitten so much when the locals weren't.The levels of zinc in your blood also effect how good you taste to insects.

Things you don't wanna do if you are afraid of insects;
Bath
Eat sugary treats outside
Pee in certain bushes
Watch your steps!
Don't throw stones at beehives(that DOES make sense)
Don't be out so late
Watch out for stinky sweat!

[thisAngelBites]

at first, I thought your title said...

"Why do hugs bug me?"

Why do bugs hug me (with their teeth)?

[thisAngelBites]

Though mosquitoes are actually just like flies.They are sexually attracted to sugar (and they are hungry too) and the more you eat,the more they smell you. If you're talking about mosquitoes, there is a chemical scent created when you perspire that attracts them. This is why the white men who went to places like India and Africa were bitten so much when the locals weren't.The levels of zinc in your blood also effect how good you taste to insects.

Things you don't wanna do if you are afraid of insects;
Bath
Eat sugary treats outside
Pee in certain bushes
Watch your steps!
Don't throw stones at beehives(that DOES make sense)
Don't be out so late
Watch out for stinky sweat!

I have often wondered about higher blood glucose, but I've been eating so clean, and very low carb for months now. My blood sugar is low. But they still get me.

And I do bathe very regularly, and I stopped wearing perfume as a matter of course in case it was related to that.

[thisAngelBites]

They eat my wife alive.

It always seems to me that they prefer women. Any guys here who are tortured by bugs?

[thisAngelBites]

And now, I just heard my chickens squawking in an unusual way, and with good reason, as a fox had gotten in their run, and had one of the girls in his mouth when I chased him away. So now I get to sit out tonight with the bugs hoping to get a shot at the fox.

[bass]

Why do bugs hug me (with their teeth)?

LOL, yea I hate those suckers! one time my hole house and even the back yard got infested with fleas, I had latterly 100s of bites on my legs, and the itch lasted over two weeks. so I bought the most potent flea poison and soaked the whole back yard, then fumigated the whole house and left it for 3 days, came back and all was gone! these suckers wont go away on their own, unfortunately you have to take drastic action. good luck with war!

[bass]

And now, I just heard my chickens squawking in an unusual way, and with good reason, as a fox had gotten in their run, and had one of the girls in his mouth when I chased him away. So now I get to sit out tonight with the bugs hoping to get a shot at the fox.

get some dogs!

[thisAngelBites]

get some dogs!

They do have these livestock protection dogs who are trained, but they stay out with the animals all day, and I guess I thought it would be a crap life for a dog, but maybe looking after chickens could be a satisfying existence for the right dog? I was just reading that llamas keep foxes away as well.

[thisAngelBites]

LOL, yea I hate those suckers! one time my hole house and even the back yard got infested with fleas, I had latterly 100s of bites on my legs, and the itch lasted over two weeks. so I bought the most potent flea poison and soaked the whole back yard, then fumigated the whole house and left it for 3 days, came back and all was gone! these suckers wont go away on their own, unfortunately you have to take drastic action. good luck with war!

Did everyone in your family get bit? Or just you? I have the feeling some day they will discover fleas avoid all but a certain blood type of something.

[kelkel]

Today I was standing in a chicken coop, treating the wood for mites

There's the issue. Move to the city. City fleas are nicer.

[thisAngelBites]

That is an advantage for sure. I'd miss my fresh eggs, but when I last lived in a city I had no bug trouble.

[Times Roman]

Why do bugs hug me (with their teeth)?

I don't know....

....maybe if you whistle a few bars I can figure it out?

[bass]

Did everyone in your family get bit? Or just you? I have the feeling some day they will discover fleas avoid all but a certain blood type of something.

interesting question! yes I remember I got it the worst compared to everyone in my family! one thing I know about me is my body's temperature always run higher than normal, so maybe body heat has something to do with it?!

[David LoPan]

Believe it or not you can use that same flea and tick medication that you put on dogs and cats to keep from getting bit. My vet told me that he does this with his family including his younger kids. I tend to believe him due to the fact that he was a PharmD before he became a vet.

As for why they like you I bet it has something to do with your natural PH. My wife has the same thing happen to her with mosquitoes.

If your in the country and need a great dog look at the caucasian shepherd. Great dogs but can be very protective

[thisAngelBites]

Actually, I have suspected my skin is slightly acidic.

I bought a glazed crocodile wallet in Paris a number of years ago. I carried it in my hands very frequently, as I often will leave a handbag at home and travel more lightly if I can. After about a year and a half, the glaze started getting dull, which I thought was odd, as my mother had a crocodile handbag for fifty years which looked the same as when it was new.

The next time I was in Paris, I took it back to the shop to ask about it. They explained that some people have more acidic skin than others, and it is the acid of the hands that causes the glaze to degrade.

When I googled it, I read that women generally have more acidic skin than men, which fits with my sense that more women get bug bites than men.

[thisAngelBites]

Believe it or not you can use that same flea and tick medication that you put on dogs and cats to keep from getting bit. My vet told me that he does this with his family including his younger kids. I tend to believe him due to the fact that he was a PharmD before he became a vet.

Some of the older flea treatments for animals disrupt glutamate gated chloride channels, which humans (and other mammals, like cats and dogs) don't have. I just looked up whether there was any testing in humans and all a quick search revealed was that they are classified by the EPA as possible human carcinogens, as a result of an increase in thyroid follicular tumours in rats.

The newer, better meds are called neonicotinoids, and they are partial agonists for nicotinic receptors, but they bind more strongly to insect receptors than to human receptors. So presumably at some dose, you will start to get a build up of acetylcholine which would cause some neural effects/paralysis, but I've no idea if they effective dose is anywhere near that. Interesting idea, though.

[thisAngelBites]

interesting question! yes I remember I got it the worst compared to everyone in my family! one thing I know about me is my body's temperature always run higher than normal, so maybe body heat has something to do with it?!

That's an interesting idea. I'm hypothyroid, and I had low body temp for quite a good while (and the bugs loved me), and now with my dessicated thryoid, body temps are normal and they still love me. Not that it proves anything, but it would have been nice to see that improve.

Maybe we should test the pH of our skin and test the acidity theory?

[lovbyts]

Research the electronic battery operated bug repellents. I read some actually do work and its better than chemicals

[Times Roman]

Actually, I have suspected my skin is slightly acidic.

I bought a glazed crocodile wallet in Paris a number of years ago. I carried it in my hands very frequently, as I often will leave a handbag at home and travel more lightly if I can. After about a year and a half, the glaze started getting dull, which I thought was odd, as my mother had a crocodile handbag for fifty years which looked the same as when it was new.

The next time I was in Paris, I took it back to the shop to ask about it. They explained that some people have more acidic skin than others, and it is the acid of the hands that causes the glaze to degrade.

When I googled it, I read that women generally have more acidic skin than men, which fits with my sense that more women get bug bites than men.

you could perform a PH test?

[thisAngelBites]

Research the electronic battery operated bug repellents. I read some actually do work and its better than chemicals

Are you endorsing this sort of product?

[thisAngelBites]

Research the electronic battery operated bug repellents. I read some actually do work and its better than chemicals

Actually I would love to see if there is some supplement I could take to make my skin slightly more alkaline, and (hopefully) less of an attraction.

[diesel101]

Actually I would love to see if there is some supplement I could take to make my skin slightly more alkaline, and (hopefully) less of an attraction.

Are we still talking about bugs?

[lovbyts]

Actually I would love to see if there is some supplement I could take to make my skin slightly more alkaline, and (hopefully) less of an attraction.

Garlic

[Times Roman]

Are you endorsing this sort of product?

you know, we are not supposed to be able to hear those things...

...but for some reason, I can hear them. It produces a very high pitch whine and it "bugs" (pun intended) the dung out of me.

My folks have one for cats. they cannot hear it. I have to tell them to turn it off when I come over, things give me a headache!

[Times Roman]

Garlic

problem with garlic is that not only does it repel squitos, but it repels people too....

...nothing worse than trying to have a conversation with someone that has garlic breath!

[almostgone]

They do have these livestock protection dogs who are trained, but they stay out with the animals all day, and I guess I thought it would be a crap life for a dog, but maybe looking after chickens could be a satisfying existence for the right dog? I was just reading that llamas keep foxes away as well.

That sounds reasonable. People in my area keep a few burros out with the livestock to keep the occasional coyote at bay. Burros will nip at you in a flash and I will personally attest to their kicking ability....it really hurts.

[lovbyts]

you know, we are not supposed to be able to hear those things...

...but for some reason, I can hear them. It produces a very high pitch whine and it "bugs" (pun intended) the dung out of me.

My folks have one for cats. they cannot hear it. I have to tell them to turn it off when I come over, things give me a headache!

The ones for cats and dogs have an adjustment on them inside where thr batteries go or it plugs in. Find a cat or dog and adjust it until it annoys them. Usually you can only hear it if you are directly in front of it.

Some work some dont.

[almostgone]

I have often wondered about higher blood glucose, but I've been eating so clean, and very low carb for months now. My blood sugar is low. But they still get me.

And I do bathe very regularly, and I stopped wearing perfume as a matter of course in case it was related to that.

Hmm...low carb. Maybe the bugs are detecting the ketone/ketosis from the low carb diet??

[Times Roman]

The ones for cats and dogs have an adjustment on them inside where thr batteries go or it plugs in. Find a cat or dog and adjust it until it annoys them. Usually you can only hear it if you are directly in front of it.

Some work some dont.

either way, I can hear them from 50 feet away. you'd think with my tinnitus it would just blend in, but I think the tinnitus just makes it worse somehow?

[almostgone]

I do recall my grandmother chewing peppermint leaves in the summer to keep mosquitoes at bay ( not sure of the validity of the claim). She always kept some spearmint and peppermint plants growing in containers. Mint can be invasive if the plants aren't contained.

[Docd187123]

That's an interesting idea. I'm hypothyroid, and I had low body temp for quite a good while (and the bugs loved me), and now with my dessicated thryoid, body temps are normal and they still love me. Not that it proves anything, but it would have been nice to see that improve.

Maybe we should test the pH of our skin and test the acidity theory?

Bugs eat me alive all the time as well. More so than anyone I know. My body temps average around 99.3-99.5 and I've noticed no difference with dietary changes.

[thisAngelBites]

Hmm...low carb. Maybe the bugs are detecting the ketone/ketosis from the low carb diet??

The low carb thing has been more recent, as I am experimenting with it, but unfortunately no difference from when I was not in ketosis. But thanks for thinking of it.

[thisAngelBites]

Bugs eat me alive all the time as well. More so than anyone I know. My body temps average around 99.3-99.5 and I've noticed no difference with dietary changes.

Thanks for the data point.

I have no idea how to test skin pH, do you (I imagine for any precision you need liquids, not litmus paper)?

I think we need to keep working on this on behalf of people everywhere scratching their legs.

[thisAngelBites]

you know, we are not supposed to be able to hear those things...

...but for some reason, I can hear them. It produces a very high pitch whine and it "bugs" (pun intended) the dung out of me.

My folks have one for cats. they cannot hear it. I have to tell them to turn it off when I come over, things give me a headache!

Roman, you must have those super young ears that hear those high frequencies.

[Times Roman]

Roman, you must have those super young ears that hear those high frequencies.

you'd think with the bajillion rock concerts I've been too, working around all the diesel engines, and being in a band for several years, that all that would have made me deaf. the only issue besides the tinnitus is a difficulty with hearing people enunciate their words well. but every ear test I hear all the tones/pitches/volumes perfectly for some strange reason.

I have to turn the TV up loud since the TV volume has to compete with my tinnitus

[thisAngelBites]

Maybe the people you're speaking to just aren't pronounciating properly.