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Identifying the Natural Chemical that Attracts Mosquitoes (and Disease)

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My MD informed me the reason for being bitten by spiders repeatedly is due to a hormone my body produces. What can this hormone be and what can I do to prevent these numerous bites?

C W Hurst of AL 10:48AM August 31, 2010

By subgroups, mfellion, I'm guessing you mean the token attempt at racial/genetic diversity variations, with a total of 5 races--and even those only self-described--within their total population of 16 subjects. mfellion, these are likely the grad students Leal had working around him at the time: "Fred, Xiao, c'mere for a second and lemme swab your armpit."
I feel frustrated by the slow pace of the scientific validation process too, mfellion. But this team is only trying to make certain that what they, eventually and with confidence, declare to be true...actually is.

Matt of NJ 12:54PM January 21, 2010

I always got bitten a lot, eaten alive practically, while others had no problems. I read that Vitamin B6 deficiency caused people to get bitten more, so I tried taking 50 mg. of B6 and a 1-gram Vitamin C tablet before going out and it worked for me. I've been doing this in the summer for 10 years and it works for me every time!

L Rice of KY 3:37PM January 02, 2010

spray the stuff on your electrical bug popping grid and start killing mosquitos instead of moths

jerry sawka of MI 4:16PM December 28, 2009

This story does not tell all the story. Since the levels were measured in different groups the scientists already know which group gives off the least chemical. Testing subgroups as pure as possible in different parts of the world would confirm. The higher the levels the worse the bites so I expect non tropical subgroups have the highest levels. Here is an example of useful information being dumped in the dustbin of useless information because the drug industry sees no money in it instead of the billions a real mosquito repellent would make.

mfellion of CA 4:34PM December 24, 2009

study south west Pacific Islandres, Samoa, Guadalcanal, Tulagi etc.
though they were not immune they had a better chance than caucasions
some helicopter pilots in Vietnam drank two or three gin & tonics a day and never got Malaria, the tonic was quinine water.

r. buckley of MA 2:03PM December 22, 2009

Makes sense that mosquitos are attracted and disattracted to sent. When I was in Korea the Koreans would eat a lot of Kimchi and mosquitos would stay clear of them. I could also smell the sent they would emit.

theMan of FL 12:58PM December 22, 2009

yes, temperature may attract mosquitoes,even if we avoid our nonanal.
moreover, i donnot think that change our amount of nonanal is a good idea to protect us, it may cause other question like hormone problem.

nemo 3:30AM December 21, 2009

Mosquitoes also have to ability to see the heat of our body temperature.
Additionally, the amount of nonanal odor produced by the human body increases with aggravation and stress.

Mart Braden of KS 1:50PM December 20, 2009