Why they bite there

Okay, it's a hot day and we've got shorts on, no gaiters. And no bug repellent. Why do we get a big top-of-sock area of bites and not nearly so many elsewhere? Why do socks make such a difference?

I Seem to get bites more often in joint areas over bone. I don't know whether I notice them when they are in joint areas or if it that there are more of them there.

The skin is thinner near the ankles. Same reason they like your temples and ears. I think those areas where the blood is closer to the surface are either warmer or smell yummier, or both, to the little bastards.

To add to TUH's reply, your socks also probably constrict the blood vessels a bit such that the blood pools more as it goes towards your twinkly little toes.

Of course, I get bites on the ankles without socks, when walking around my back yard but I would assume socks just compound the issue above the sock.

Jay

When I wear high gaiters, they bite me behind my knees. I think they like congregating on the edge of clothing.

Ellen - are you talking about those biting houseflies? They always go for the ankles. We've always called them ankle flies, which is accurate, but certainly not an official term. They especially love to terrorize you in canoes or rowboats, always going for the ankles.

I'll take them over deer flies any time, though.

Marty

I suppose most biting insects are attracted by perspiration, warmth, body odor, carbon dioxide, and light. Other than that, I just think "down there" is where more of them are, generally resting, as opposed to there being an equal distribution of them throughout the 5 to 6 feet of space we occupy.

Or it could be Natural Selection: There was once an equal number of High, Mid and Low Biting insects. As man gained intelligence, the Highs and Mids got swatted and squashed more often, allowing the Lows to survive and breed greater numbers.

I agree with Wardsgirl , as the little buggers always seem to find a way to get under my hat . Why there is anyone's guess ....

Dave

erugs said:

Okay, it's a hot day and we've got shorts on, no gaiters. And no bug repellent. Why do we get a big top-of-sock area of bites and not nearly so many elsewhere? Why do socks make such a difference?

Click to expand...

Their smart little buggers. They know that is the farthest point from a swatting hand.

try one of these.
im sure they dont work well!

http://www.offprotects.com/clip-on-mosquito-repellent/

mookie said:

try one of these.
im sure they dont work well!

http://www.offprotects.com/clip-on-mosquito-repellent/

Click to expand...

I bet they sell well. You could and attach two of them to your shoe laces along with bells to keep the bears away.

Back in the day when I was an entomology major at UMass I rember one of the prof. mentioning that he read an article in which a researcher (believe in Austria) discovered the pheromones giving of by the mold that makes blue cheese attracted mosquitos. A closely related species of this mold, you guessed it, lives on humans.