@ubhayat: tbh I would follow the smell of cheese too probably (not vinegary cheese tho) #mosquitorepellant #chemistry #interestingfacts #LearnOnTikTok #cheeselover a comment id like to pin: @TikTok Tako:This information is largely accurate. The claim that people get bitten more by mosquitoes because their skin bacteria produce carboxylic acids that smell like sour vinegar or cheese is backed by multiple independent research studies, including a landmark 2022 study from Rockefeller University published in Cell. These studies confirm that people who attract far more mosquitoes consistently have significantly higher levels of carboxylic acids on their skin, compounds produced when natural skin bacteria break down sweat. Some of these carboxylic acids, such as butyric acid, are the same compounds found in strong-smelling cheeses like Limburger, which mosquitoes are already known to be strongly attracted to. The video is also correct in saying this is not because your blood is "sweeter" — that's a common myth. Mosquito attraction is driven overwhelmingly by scent cues from your skin, with carboxylic acids being the strongest known signal. The only minor simplification is that mosquito attraction is also influenced by other factors like carbon dioxide output, body heat, and in some cases blood type, but skin carboxylic acid levels remain the single strongest and most consistent predictor of who gets bitten more.

Unaisa Bhayat, MD

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Monday 31 August 2026 23:11:35 GMT