5 things that make you irresistible to mosquitoes

Bug bites are the scourge of summer

Fit man
(Image credit: Ben Welsh/Design Pics/Corbis)

Ah, summertime! That warm and wonderful time of year synonymous with bike rides and backyard barbecues. The downside, though, is that you're going to get bitten, unless you're in the lucky minority (15 percent) of people that mosquitoes tend to avoid. As it turns out, a fertile combination of odors, body heat, and chemical compounds exuded from the skin make certain folks more susceptible to bug bites than others. Here, in no particular order, are five things that may make you — you tasty human, you — more delectable to the blood-sucking menaces than your peers:

1. Booze

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Chris Gayomali is the science and technology editor for TheWeek.com. Previously, he was a tech reporter at TIME. His work has also appeared in Men's Journal, Esquire, and The Atlantic, among other places. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.