Podcast Summary: The Gist – Sadie Dingfelder on Mosquito Magnets and Who Tastes Best to Bugs
Date: September 23, 2025
Host: Mike Pesca (Peach Fish Productions)
Guest: Sadie Dingfelder, author of “Do I Know You? A Face Blind Reporter’s Journey into the Science of Sight, Memory, and Imagination”

Episode Overview

In this episode, Mike Pesca invites science journalist Sadie Dingfelder to answer the burning late-summer question: Why do mosquitoes seem to feast on some people more than others? Via her signature humor and deep dive into scientific literature, Sadie explores whether certain people truly are “tastier” to mosquitoes—or if that’s just another myth. The pair wade through decades of odd research (including men in Gambian huts and guinea pig armpits), how scientists test mosquito attraction, and practical implications for those who chronically suffer—like Sadie’s husband, Steve, the episode's “Brad Pitt of mosquitoes.”

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Why Do Mosquitoes Prefer Some People? (06:34–08:10)

• Different Sensitivities vs. Attractiveness:
  Mike wonders if claims that “some people never get bitten” have any science behind them.

• Steve, the Mosquito Magnet:
  Sadie shares her husband Steve’s perpetual whining about being especially loved by mosquitoes, prompting her research deep dive.

  "My husband Steve is always claiming that he is specifically attractive to mosquitoes. He’s like the Brad Pitt of mosquitoes. And I never have believed him."
  — Sadie Dingfelder [07:15]

Early Mosquito Studies: Men in Huts (08:10–10:17)

• Gambia 1993 Study:

  • Men were rotated among huts to see who attracted the most mosquitoes.

  • Counted actual mosquito blood meals, not just bite marks.

    "They constructed huts for the study...put six men in the huts and then shuffled them around...They also counted the number of mosquitoes that had human blood in their bellies."
    — Sadie Dingfelder [08:10]

• Findings:

  • Some people consistently attracted more mosquitoes.

  • Some attracted mosquitoes but didn’t “close the deal” (mosquitoes landed but didn’t bite), suggesting people vary in not only attractiveness but “tastiness.”

    "They found that there were some men that were consistently getting more mosquitoes in their huts...But they weren’t necessarily always the same men."
    — Sadie Dingfelder [09:49]

Science Behind Mosquito Attraction (10:25–14:30)

• CO₂ Plumes:
  Mosquitoes sense carbon dioxide from breath at 30–100 feet. Larger people and pregnant women = bigger plumes = more bites.

• Role of Body Chemistry:

  • Less diverse skin microbiomes, increased lactic acid, and certain sweat compounds draw mosquitoes.

  • Drinking beer and (sometimes) eating bananas increases appeal.

    "Mosquitoes are cueing in on your lactic acid...you can increase your attractiveness to mosquitoes with beer...some people become more attractive to mosquitoes if they eat bananas."
    — Sadie Dingfelder [12:35]

• The “Decoy Effect”:
  Larger people may “draw fire” away from others—so Steve is a hero after all.

  "Steve is actually maybe attracting the mosquitoes away from me and getting bitten more."
  — Sadie Dingfelder [17:08]

Modern Mosquito Research Tools (14:48–16:25)

• Assays Replaced Human/Animal Testing:

  • No more sacrificing guinea pig armpits or volunteer arms.

  • Scientists now use parafilm “skin” with blood simulant, coloring the mosquitoes to track preferences.

    "We stopped having to give animals and humans mosquito bites in 2013. When they developed...a parafilm membrane...they could use the color of the mosquitoes to tell which of two options they were feeding from."
    — Sadie Dingfelder [15:39]

Practical Tips & Weird Science (14:07–18:57)

• What Makes Someone a Mosquito Magnet?
  Heat, sweat, body mass, exercise, and blood chemistry can all play a role.

• Can You Decrease Attractiveness?
  Drink less beer, eat fewer bananas, exercise less—at your peril.

• Mosquito Anatomy Horror:
  Mosquitoes have a nightmarish proboscis with multiple cutting, probing, and tasting parts—and spit anticoagulants.

  "They have like a little tube...called a proboscis...inside of it are three pairs of specialized equipment...two of them saw into your skin, two of them are straws..."
  — Sadie Dingfelder [19:01]

Debating Mosquito Eradication (20:04–21:10)

• Gene Drives and Playing God:

  • Mike asks if there’s any downside to genetically eliminating mosquitoes.

  • Sadie’s only concern is unintended effects on other insects.

    "You would worry that perhaps it could drift into more beneficial insects or someone else."
    — Sadie Dingfelder [20:33]

• Why Human-Biting Mosquitoes Evolved:

  • Mosquito specialization for humans occurred when humans began storing water—a case of our own invention coming back to bite us.

    "Mosquitoes that specialize in human blood sucking...did it when we started storing water in Africa."
    — Sadie Dingfelder [20:57]

The “Is That Bullshit?” Verdict (18:11–18:15)

• Final Answer:
  Not bullshit—some people really are more attractive to mosquitoes.

  "It is not bullshit."
  — Sadie Dingfelder [18:11]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Steve’s Suffering:
  "I just thought I was very stoic, but it turns out I’m just not being bothered by mosquitoes because he is."
  — Sadie Dingfelder [17:43]

• On Mosquitoes’ Diabolical Anatomy:
  "It’s so terrible. And then also they spit into you. Their spit contains anticoagulants and things that dilate your blood vessels."
  — Sadie Dingfelder [19:46]

• Is mosquito magnetism real?
  "Some people—says Steve—are just tastier to mosquitoes."
  — Mike Pesca [17:49]

• On gene editing and ecosystems:
  "I can’t. I haven’t read any compelling reason not to greatly decrease the mosquito population, have you?"
  — Mike Pesca [20:04]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Theme Introduction & Mosquito Question: 06:34
• Methodologies in Mosquito Science: 08:10
• What Attracts Mosquitoes to Humans?: 10:25, 12:35
• Strange, Memorable Mosquito Experiments: 14:48, 15:39
• Is That Bullshit Verdict: 18:11
• Mosquito Anatomy & Horrors: 19:01
• Mosquito Eradication Ethics: 20:04
• Human-Mosquito Co-Evolution: 20:57

Conclusion

This engaging and cheeky episode affirms: some people are truly more tempting to mosquitoes than others—a fact backed by science and decades of strange experimentation. Mosquito magnetism is real and driven by a mix of body size, chemistry, and behavior. Plus, if you’re getting bitten while your friend isn’t, you might just be their secret service decoy.

Verdict: Not bullshit—mosquitoes do play favorites.
Takeaway: If you’re a “Steve,” consider it an accidental act of heroism.