A recent study suggests that using soap could potentially make you more appealing to mosquitoes. The researchers propose that fragrances found in soap can attract mosquitoes as they supplement their sugar intake with plant nectar when not feeding on blood.
As per media reports, people often use fragrances, such as fruity or floral scents, to alter their smell, which can inadvertently attract mosquitoes.
Researchers from Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences have published a study in the journal iScience, revealing that specific types of soap can affect a person’s attractiveness to mosquitoes.
Clement Vinauger, the lead researcher of the study, explained that altering soap scents can either enhance or diminish the attraction of individuals who already have a higher-than-average appeal to mosquitoes.
“The other aspect is that it’s not simply adding stuff to our body odour, but it’s also replacing some chemicals while eliminating others that are washed away,” Clement Vinauger said.”So we think there is a lot of chemical interaction between our natural chemicals and soap chemicals,” he added.
To study this connection, the research team enlisted four volunteers and examined their distinct scent profiles both before and after using various soaps, including Dial, Dove, Native, and Simple Truth.
The study revealed that soap, rather than natural body odours, contributes to over 60 per cent of the scents detected after washing.
According to the study, certain soaps can heighten the attractiveness of hosts to mosquitoes, while others can reduce it. Mosquitoes rely on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by plants and animal hosts to locate sources of nutrients. To investigate the effects of different smells, the researchers conducted experiments using a meshed cage containing two cups of odour extracts. The mosquitoes were given a choice between unwashed scents collected from individuals and their scents after washing with soap.
The researchers conducted repeated tests with different combinations of scents. Regarding fragrance preferences, three out of the four soaps were found to increase mosquito attractiveness, while one soap had the opposite effect, reducing their attraction.
All of the soaps evaluated in the study had fragrances with fruity or flowery scents, except for the coconut-scented soap, which was found to decrease mosquito attractiveness. The researchers emphasized that soap is just one factor among many that influence mosquito attraction, as concluded from the study.
Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
Updated: 13 Jun 2023, 07:49 AM IST