Why are Mosquitos So Obsessed with Me?
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- Опубликовано: 11 июл 2023
- If you feel like mosquitos flock to you over everyone else at the barbecue… you’re not imagining it. Some of us really do attract mosquitos more than others, based on the chemicals exuded from our skin. What are they, how did scientists figure it out, and how can you outsmart them anyways?
#mosquito #chemistry
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Credits:
Executive Producer:
Matthew Radcliff
Producers:
Elaine Seward
Andrew Sobey
Darren Weaver
Writer/Host:
Alex Dainis
Scientific Consultants:
Michelle Boucher, Ph.D.
Leila Duman, Ph.D.
Leslie Vosshall, Ph.D.
….
Executive in Charge for PBS: Maribel Lopez
Director of Programming for PBS: Gabrielle Ewing
Assistant Director of Programming for PBS: John Campbell
Reactions is a production of the American Chemical Society.
© 2023 American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.
Sources:
• How Mosquitoes Use Six...
www.sciencedirect.com/science...
ashpublications.org/blood/art...
journals.plos.org/plosntds/ar...
www.britannica.com/story/why-...
linkinghub.elsevier.com/retri...
www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0...
www.cell.com/current-biology/...
www.acs.org/molecule-of-the-w...
doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2018.1... 
Наука
Unofficial, absolutely not scientific experiment: Are you a mosquito magnet? We (Alex, just Alex…) want to know if a love of chemistry RUclips correlates with mosquito attraction. Let us know and we (Alex…) will tally the results!
I'm a mosquito magnet
certainly no scientifically proven answer, but I feel like I was one as a kid and it isn't the case anymore
I am a mosquito magnet (( When I'm in the forest, I can't hear any bird because of their squeak... But I like biology more than chemistry) Thanks for interesting video! 🤩
Mosquitos like me but I'm not a magnet.
Absolutely. Without question. As is my daughter.
Alex, you just found the perfect way to keep the mosquitos away: just tell them you're making an experiment! Guaranteed results! 100%! 🤣
It's so true
I tried *multiple locations on multiple days* and nothing. I even went camping for four days and made portable versions of the traps and still nothing. Not a one! Just gonna yell about mosquito experiments every time I'm in the woods now.
@@AlexDainisPhD You forgot a crucial ingredient for those traps: yourself! 😂
@@ACSReactions The most effective mosquito repellant is four jars of dry ice in four purple paper bags, one with DEET, one with Citronella and one with Eucalyptus.
I love that you came up with an experiment to implement and test. Sad that it didn’t work, but look on the bright side, you may have just discovered that purple paper bags are the most effective mosquito repellent ever!
I'm a bit of a mosquito magnet too and just the sound of a mosquito makes my skin itch, like a Pavlovian response.
I am a former mosquito magnet. I started taking a Vitamin B complex (as I need to due to a MTHFR chromosome anomalie) and I literally do not get bit anymore. I used to be devoured and be covered in bites. Now I get maybe one bite per summer. I would say to check with your doctor if you have a vitamin B deficiency or a reason to supplement and then go for it! BTW, I have had the most success with a prolonged-release Vitamin B complex supplement. Ciao from Italy! L
Very often it seems the comment section is even more valuable than the video.
That diagram of a feeding mosquito made me realize that a giant mosquito, say 2m long, would be great at lockpicking with those rake like tools in their probosci. Off to the lab to grow one !! muahaha
when you landed 250 unique views in lpl channel and are starting to concoct automomus picking beasts
I asked chatGPT to write a LPL episode about opening a padlock using a 2m long mosquito with sawtooth proboscis and now I just need to put this whole internet thing down for a while.
Oh my life, what have we created???!!
I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I'll never dabble in evil sciences again.
Well, at least for a week.
Mosley the Mozzie?!
[Opening Scene: The Lockpicking Lawyer is standing in his workshop, surrounded by various locks and tools. He addresses the camera.]
Lockpicking Lawyer: Welcome back, lock enthusiasts! Today, we have an intriguing challenge ahead of us. I received a message from a viewer who asked if it's possible to open a padlock using a rather unconventional tool-a 2-meter long mosquito with a sawtooth proboscis. Now, as always, I strongly advise against using any unauthorized methods to open locks. But since this request piqued my curiosity, I've decided to investigate. Let's see if we can find a solution that stays within the realm of legality.
[The Lockpicking Lawyer picks up a padlock and examines it closely.]
Lockpicking Lawyer: This here is a standard padlock, nothing too special. It features a shrouded shackle and a traditional pin tumbler mechanism. Our task is to bypass the lock without using any destructive methods. So, without further ado, let's bring in our trusty mosquito companion!
[Cut to a close-up shot of a mosquito (computer-generated imagery) with an elongated proboscis, equipped with tiny saw-like teeth.]
Lockpicking Lawyer: Meet Mosley, our special mosquito friend with a sawtooth proboscis. Now, using a mosquito for lock picking is highly unconventional and not something I endorse, but we'll examine the principles at play here.
[The Lockpicking Lawyer places the padlock in a vise to keep it steady.]
Lockpicking Lawyer: The first challenge is getting Mosley into the lock. Now, this padlock is designed to prevent unauthorized access, so its keyway is relatively small. However, Mosley's proboscis is incredibly slim and flexible, which might give us an advantage.
[The Lockpicking Lawyer carefully maneuvers Mosley towards the keyway of the padlock.]
Lockpicking Lawyer: Patience is key here. It's important to align the proboscis with the pins inside the lock cylinder. If we can mimic the action of traditional lock picking, there's a chance Mosley's proboscis can engage the pins and manipulate them.
[The camera zooms in to show a detailed shot of Mosley's proboscis gently maneuvering inside the lock.]
Lockpicking Lawyer: Mosley is delicately moving its proboscis inside the lock, attempting to reach the pins. The goal is to apply slight pressure to the pins, just like we would with a traditional lock pick, in order to set them into the correct position.
[After a few moments, Mosley manages to manipulate the pins successfully.]
Lockpicking Lawyer: Incredible! Against all odds, Mosley has successfully manipulated the pins inside the lock! Now, let's see if we can turn the plug and unlock this padlock.
[The Lockpicking Lawyer carefully rotates the padlock's plug using a tool.]
Lockpicking Lawyer: With the pins set, we now need to rotate the plug. Remember, this process requires precision and finesse to avoid damaging the lock.
[The padlock's shackle pops open, indicating that it has been successfully picked.]
Lockpicking Lawyer: And just like that, Mosley, the extraordinary mosquito, has unlocked our padlock! While this experiment was fascinating, I cannot emphasize enough that using a mosquito-or any living creature-for lock picking is unethical, impractical, and quite frankly, absurd. It's crucial to respect the boundaries of legality and engage in lock picking responsibly.
[The Lockpicking Lawyer removes the padlock from the vise and holds it up to the camera.]
Lockpicking Lawyer: Remember, folks, I'm here to educate and entertain, but always within the confines of the law. Lock picking is a skill that should be used responsibly, only in legal and ethical circumstances. So, until next time, stay curious and stay legal. Thanks for watching!
[The Lockpicking Lawyer smiles at the camera as the scene fades out.]
😮 Your ACS logo made me shudder the first time I saw one of your videos. It reminded me of college Organic Chemistry circa 1975, where the course final was an "official" ACS exam. OC was never my thing and taking an ACS OC exam as a final was terrifying.
Interesting videos! I'm glad I ran across them.
"I attract so many females" is a valid statement then :D well female mosquitos at least
...silver lining to every cloud... I guess? 🤷🏻♂️😂
now that's a reason for "physical violence against females" I can get behind
To be fair, there are a lot of eucalyptus trees in So Cal, maybe they were emitting more eucalyptol than usual, jamming the mosquitos' little meal sensors.
DC metro area has a ridiculously large amount of mosquitoes and I am the person that is a magnet. I also am highly sensitive to their bites. It's the worst.
"a mosquito would bite me, no matter my pronouns" caught me so off guard i choked on the water i was drinking lmao
The IRB comment at the end 😂😂😂
Beautyberry plants repel mosquitoes. So if you can extract the Callicarpenal in it and purify it, you can make mosquito repellent out of it. DEET is cool though. Callicarpenal works nearly as well as DEET.
Your energy is amazing 💪🏽😅
For some reason i seem to be (not?) immune to our local mosquito bites. They do not itch or swell at all for me. Only a smallish, red spot with sharp contour forms that lasts a couple days.
I always enjoy your posting, knowledge and easy to understand
Another option - establish some toxorhynchites mosquitoes, such as speciosus or rutilus. They don't bite us and eat the pesky disease-spreading ones in the larval stage (underwater).
7:42 i used to live on a street full of eucalyptus and we never had many mosquitoes tbh... So yeah , I'll be using eucalyptus candles this summer and see what happens..!
Very interesting! It's crazy how some of us seem real tasty to them and others not. I'm normally someone who never gets bit, but I was a magnet when I was pregnant. This summer I've also had a lot of bites but I'm definitely not so i wonder what the difference is, or if its the bugs themself.
Cool video you are fun to watch 👍👏💪
Also in DC and I'm so rarely targeted by mosquitos compared to those around me. While obviously not definitive this made me take notice that my shaving cream is strongly scented with eucalyptus oil ... and now I'm wondering if that might be the big reason why I seem to escape their attention.
Alex is amazing.
Mosquitoes despise me. The feeling is mutual, even though I very seldom get bit. Bit? Stung? Slobbered on? Spat at? Ew.
Another excellent episode - thanks!
They don't bother me that bad. I also don't get bumps or itchy after I get bit.
Oh noooo.... as a mosquito magnet myself, living in a tropical nation no less, I really wanted the traps to work. T_T
It's fine though, one of these days we'll just find either a super repellant, which I'll slather myself in, and/or a super attractant, which I'll surely make traps with.
I've tried a few myself, including the bottle with vinegar and baking soda for CO2, and a few other stuff, but it never worked quite right for me.
I've also been looking for plants that definitely work to repeal mosquitoes, but didn't find a definite answer just yet. Different people swear by different stuff and I don't want to turn my tiny apartment into a jungle. :P
Bats, the best solution is bats. They can eat tons of mosquitoes.
Just built bat houses and make sure to attract as many non-mosquito insects for them to feed on when they are done eating all the mosquitoes.
You can use beautyberry plants to repel mosquitoes. The Callicarpenal in the plant is proven to work nearly as well as DEET. If you can extract it and then make mosquito repellent out of it, you will do great.
Your job IS weird...but wonderful! Interesting presentation. Thank you.
Hall's lemon menthol eucalyptus drops time!
Just say we got the good stuff😎💪🏾
Why can I sometimes feel them stinging before they have gotten their fill? Is it the serrated probosces damaged or something? It doesn't leave an itchy swell yet, so it can't be the spit. Or there can be an experience factor too because usually, it isn't the really big ones that I notice.
I wonder if fleas and ticks are motivated by a similar chemical attraction. Video on that perhaps?
It (your job) may be weird, but I am glad you do it. Hope this comment and thumbs is the one that garners the attention of our algorithmic overlord.
Thank you thank you. I'm glad I get to do it
I can't remember the last time I had a mosquito bite. It's been that many years.
As someone who is a mosquito magnet AND allergic to their bites (skeeter syndrome) this video makes me not look forward to summer
I wonder if soda would attract mosquitoes (Carboxilic --> carbonic ---> CO2 )
Picaridin works great
So how does one wash away the carboxylic acids? Is there a skin-safe base that would neutralize them like baking soda? Would carboxylic acid reductase work, or are the resulting aldehydes what the mosquitos are actually attracted to? My wife is a mosquito magnet and I would love to be able too help her out, WITH SCIENCE!
I'm surprised that the hosts reaction itself is not considered. That is, that people who are morenproje to allergic reaction will respond more strongly to the bite, i.e. itchier, redder etc.
There are known things that alter mast cells, for example hypoglycemia and vitamin D levels (also affect immunity).
So maybe the mosquitoes are biting others present in the same room as you - they just don't feel/react like the one person that does.
To elaborate on this, people with severe immune reactions have whats called the Skeeter syndrome. As a sufferer myself (and also a magnet for them sadly), whats a minor itchy inconvenience for some is a plate sized, swollen, and mostly painful-itchy lump for us with skeeters.
@@LuLa_41 That's just another name for low metabolic function / hypothyroidism, as histamine rises then. Bringing my D levels up has helped with all my allergies.
I guess Alex needs to go on a strict diet of koala meat and see if she becomes a mosquito repellent.
ahahahaha lovely testing with those very interested human subjects
Mosquitoes make a bee line to you? What kind of line do bees make to you? 😊
So wear eucalyptus oil all summer. Got it.
I was always told o+ blood it's what they love and they love me that's what I got
The best way to not get bitten by mosquitoes is to never leave the house. 100% foolproof plan.
Like they never come in a house...
2:35 I mean if you're 160lbs you'd be 29,028,000 times bigger than a mosquito
It’s your Own Body Signalling to the
Mosquitoes, to put you out of your
Misery. 😅
Skeeters think you smell good, eh.
it's nothing personal. They are just hungry.
I take garlic pills...it definitely helps
Mosquito is known to be the Minnesota state bird. Come on, check them out.
Make mosquitoes extinct!
😌 Promo sm
Cause you're a buttoneye cutiepie
hi three
Probably Gaia’s vengeance for promoting glyphosate.
Whoever made your cover slide keept on squeezing you.
It’s because you don’t smoke. I am a heavy smoker and mosquitoes will buzz but will not bite me, and I’m sure it’s because of the nicotine in the bloodstream. For all the Smarties that will say I will die from smoking anyway, I say that 76 years old is not a bad innings, and I’m still going.
DEET . there is no other solution. I've tried them all.