Why mosquitoes are attracted to some women, researchers find chemical explanation tied to pregnancy and menstrual cycle

Researchers from, among others, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), have found that women's attraction to mosquitoes is affected by where they are in their menstrual cycle and by whether they are pregnant.

Using scent samples from women, researchers identified 27 different chemical substances. It turned out that octenol, also known as mushroom alcohol, was of particular importance. The substance is found in higher amounts in pregnant women.

The results could be used to improve mosquito traps and repellents.

"So that we can, for example, develop new repellents that disrupt these odorants," says Rickard Ignell, professor at SLU Alnarp, to P4 Värmland.