No one attracts every mosquito species, but everyone attracts at least one, determined by skin microbiome odor.

Summer bites leave you covered in welts, and you think you're just 'mosquito bait'? New research says you might not appeal to every mosquito, but you'll attract at least one of them.

1. Three mosquitoes, three tastes

Scientists recruited 119 volunteers to stick their arms into a tube full of mosquitoes and watched which ones swarmed. The result: no single person attracted all three species, but every person tempted at least one.

2. Skin bacteria decide your mosquito appeal

Mosquitoes don't actually smell you directly; they smell the odor molecules that skin bacteria produce when they feed on your secretions. Each person's bacterial mix is unique, so each person smells different. Some bacteria are particularly alluring, while others repel mosquitoes.

3. Evolution leads each mosquito to its own 'dish'

Different species have different preferences: Aedes albopictus loves ketones, Aedes aegypti prefers men (because their skin bacteria produce more fatty acid odors), and all three are drawn to a fruity compound. The researchers think this reflects distinct evolutionary paths in decoding human odor.

The good news: you're not a universal magnet. The bad news: you're not a universal repellent either — at least one species will like you. The team hopes to develop better repellents, but until then, you'd better use a mosquito net.