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Your soap might mean mosquitoes bite you more

Mosquitoes - Level 0

Mosquitoes like the smells of some people more than others. They also like some soap smells. Mosquitoes like soap with a flowery smell. Most smells from our body are from soap. Changing our soap could stop mosquitoes biting us. Soap with no smell make us less tasty to mosquitoes.

The researchers tested soap smells on mosquitoes. They put the smells of the soap and of unwashed bodies in two different cups. The mosquitoes liked the cups with the soapy smells best. A researcher said coconut soap keeps mosquitoes away. Mosquitoes are deadly. They kill many people every year.

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Mosquitoes - Level 1

Mosquitoes like some people more than others. Mosquitoes like different body smells and smells from soaps. Some soap smells could cut the number of mosquito bites we get. Researchers said mosquitoes like soap with a flowery smell. Most of the smells coming from our body are from soap. Changing our soap could stop mosquitoes biting us. Soap with no smell could make us less tasty to mosquitoes.

The researchers tested four brands of soap on mosquitoes. They put soapy smells and the smell of unwashed bodies in two different cups. They put the cups in a cage full of mosquitoes. The insects are like humans because they like flowery smells best. One researcher said coconut soap is best to keep mosquitoes away. Mosquitoes are the world's deadliest creatures. The diseases they carry kill 725,000 people a year.

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Mosquitoes - Level 2

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Mosquitoes like some people more than others. Scientists in the USA found that different body smells attract mosquitoes. This includes our natural body odour and smells from soaps. Some of these smells could reduce the number of bites we get in the summer. The researchers said mosquitoes preferred soap with a flowery smell. More than 60 per cent of the smells coming from our body come from soap. Changing the soap we use could stop us being attractive to mosquitoes. Soap with no smell could make us less tasty to mosquitoes.

The researchers tested four popular brands of soap on mosquitoes. They also tested the smell of people when they did not wash themselves. The researchers put the soapy and unwashed smells in two different cups in a cage full of mosquitoes. The insects preferred the soapy smells. Mosquitoes are like humans because they like flowery and fruity smells. One researcher said coconut-scented soap is best to keep mosquitoes away. Mosquitoes are the world's deadliest creatures. The diseases they carry kill 725,000 people a year.

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Mosquitoes - Level 3

Mosquitoes seem to like some people more than others. Scientists from the Virginia Tech university in the USA believe the smell of our body could attract mosquitoes. This includes our natural body odour and smells from soaps and perfumes. Some of these smells could also help to reduce the number of bites we get in the summer. The researchers said mosquitoes seemed to prefer soap with a flowery smell. The lead researcher said over 60 per cent of the smells coming from our body come from soap rather than natural body odours. He said that changing the soap we use could change how attractive we are to mosquitoes. Soap with a neutral or no smell could make us less tasty to the creatures.

The researchers tested the effects on mosquitoes of four popular brands of soap. They analyzed the smell of different people after they used each soap, and when they did not wash themselves. The researchers recreated the soapy and unwashed smells and put them in two different cups in a cage full of mosquitoes. The insects seemed to prefer the flowery smells from the soapy cups. Mosquitoes may be like humans because they are attracted by floral and fruity smells. One researcher gave some advice. He said: "I would choose a coconut-scented soap if I wanted to reduce mosquito attraction." Mosquitoes are the world's deadliest creatures. The diseases they carry kill about 725,000 people a year.

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