3 Common Body Washes May Turn Idahoans Into an Itchy Mosquito Feast

One of the best parts of living in Idaho is that we get to experience all four seasons. We can hit the slopes at one of the Gem State’s 18 incredible ski resorts in the winter. Float the river and hangout on the lake in the summer. 

But Idaho’s home to a few other seasons, too. Like road construction season? Lately, that seems like it never ends. If it’s not chip sealing or widening the freeway, it’s road closures around new hotels and apartment buildings going up. It’s one orange cone after another.

And of course, there’s mosquito season. With over 2,000 lakes and over 93,000 miles of streams and rivers combined with just the right summer temperatures, these nasty little blood suckers can’t wait to breed and feast. Not only can that result in you being covered in itchy bites, it could lead to potentially deadly diseases. 

Mosquitoes have earned the nickname the “most deadly creature in the world” since they’re linked to nearly 700,000 deaths annually. Most of those are due to Malaria and Zika, two diseases that are uncommon in the United States. Less often, people die of complications due to West Nile Virus that they contracted through mosquito bites. While most people who get West Nile virus may not even know they have it, about 1 in 150 West Nile patients develop serious central nervous system symptoms like encephalitis or meningitis. These can be deadly.  

READ MORE: 11 Plants That Repel Mosquitoes from Your Idaho Lawn

Two people in Idaho died of complications from West Nile in 2023 and about six of the mosquito species in our area are primary vectors for the disease. That’s why it’s a good idea to do whatever you can to avoid mosquito bites. 

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That could mean following these common sense tips like wearing long sleeves and using the proper repellent. It could mean putting your green thumb to use and planting some of these 11 plants known to repel mosquitoes. Or changing up your wardrobe to avoid colors that mosquitoes are attracted to. 

Change Your Body Wash to Avoid Becoming a Mosquito Buffet

A 2023 study has one more suggestion that you may not have considered yet! According to Real Simple, highly scented body washes may draw more mosquitoes your way. In their study, they had participants bathe with popular brands like Dove, Dial, Simple Truth and Native.

While the study noted that a lot of it could have to do with the way the soap interacts with a person’s natural body chemistry, it seems like three of the soaps attracted MORE mosquitoes. Since the floral scents used in those soaps remind mosquitoes of the sugar they search out from real plants, they seemed to naturally gravitate toward those smells. 

The study found that the one soap scent that mosquitoes didn’t care for and actually tried to avoid was coconut. In this case, that was the Native branded soap. It's something that scientists have seen in previous studies, too. While switching to coconut soaps, lotions and other skincare products might not solve all of your mosquito woes, it could certainly help!