Do you smell good to mosquitoes? Alcohol, sex and lack of cream are to blame

The answer to this question was sought by scientists from the Netherlands... at a music festival. As HealthDay reports, the unusual research took place in the format of a real science show at the Lowlands Festival in the town of Biddinghuizen.

For three days, the scientific team turned sea containers into improvised laboratories. From 9am to 10pm, volunteers - more than 500 people - took turns placing their hands on the transparent mosquito boxes. Cameras and a computer recorded the insects' reactions to each participant and assigned them an "attractiveness index".

The results showed: mosquitoes do choose. Some participants scared the insects away to a sugar high, while others were instantly targeted.

The study revealed several curious factors that make humans particularly attractive to mosquitoes:

• Alcohol: those who drank a beer shortly before participating were 44 per cent more attractive to mosquitoes.

• Cannabis: marijuana consumption also increased the chance of being bitten.

• Close contact: those who had sex the day before also had a higher index.

But there was good news: regular sunscreen reduced attractiveness by almost half. Scientists speculate that this may have something to do with blocking the odours that insects focus on.

"You should have heard the crowd cheering when the scores appeared on the scoreboard," recalled project leader, quantitative biologist Felix Hohl from Radboud University Medical Centre, with a smile. He added that he was impressed by the public's interest in science.

However, the researchers emphasise: it is worth considering the non-standard conditions of the festival. The participants - mostly young, energetic and living in tents - do not reflect the entire population. In addition, noise and other factors made it difficult to control the experimental environment.

Despite this, the study offered useful practical advice:

"Don't drink beer, don't smoke weed, don't sleep around, and wear sunscreen," Hohl ironically summarises. Or, he says, just "wear long-sleeved clothes and live your life the way you want."