Why Do Michiganders Have Such Tasty Ankles to Mosquitoes?

If you’ve spent a Michigan summer evening outside, you already know the routine — you come in from the bonfire, check your arms, maybe your neck, and then… ouch. Your ankles are a bumpy, itchy mess.

So what is it about our ankles that mosquitoes seem to love?

Mosquitoes don’t have great eyesight, but they have an incredible sense of smell. They’re attracted to the carbon dioxide we exhale, body heat, and chemical compounds released through our skin.

Our feet and ankles tend to emit stronger odors because they’re packed with sweat glands and bacteria that produce scent molecules. To a mosquito, those scents are basically a dinner bell.

Most mosquito species fly close to the ground. That means your ankles and lower legs are often the first parts of you that they may encounter. When you’re sitting around a campfire or lawn chair, your feet are stationary targets in prime mosquito flight paths. Why not take a bite on the way by?

And in Michigan, we double our odds of becoming a snack. Summer means shorts, flip-flops, and bare ankles, which leave the skin completely exposed.

And, we have mosquito seasons. Warm summer nights, lakes and rivers, and plenty of damp grassy areas mean there’s no shortage of places for mosquitoes to breed. Combine that with backyard barbecues or late night lakefront strolls, and your ankles become a predictable target zone.

How to Save Your Ankles

If you’re tired of being a mosquito buffet, try wearing light socks, reapplying repellent to your lower legs, and avoiding standing water near your hangout spots.

You can also set up a fan on your patio. Mosquitoes aren’t strong flyers, so a breeze can make it harder for them to land on you, and they'll find an easier target instead.

The fan will also keep you cooled off so you're less likely to produce sweat that will send mosquitoes on their way to you.

Avoid letting water pool in your yard or near your home, because it gives a breeding ground for those little ankle biters.

So, it’s not that Michiganders have uniquely tasty ankles (Sorry). It’s just that in the summer, we’re living in a prime mosquito zone, wearing prime mosquito-accessible outfits, and unknowingly advertising our ankles like they’re the special of the day.

So, keep that in mind the next time you feel like you’ve been treated like an all-you-can-eat buffet below the knees.