How to Become Immune to Mosquito Bites

Did you know there IS a way to become immune to mosquito bites? It sounds like a dream come true, but the price of immunity may not be worth it. Hosted by Hank Green.

----------
----------
Dooblydoo thanks go to the following Patreon supporters: Lazarus G, Sam Lutfi, D.A. Noe, سلطان الخليفي, Piya Shedden, KatieMarie Magnone, Scott Satovsky Jr, Charles Southerland, Patrick D. Ashmore, Tim Curwick, charles george, Kevin Bealer, Chris Peters
----------
Looking for SciShow elsewhere on the internet?
----------
Sources:
------
Images/Sounds:

[Heartwing]

When I go outside, mosquitoes scream, “The Chosen One is now outdoors!”

[jamesamann]

A few years back, a friend of mine who has always spent a lot of time outdoors, was diagnosed with cancer. He was treated with chemotherapy. He noticed that during this treatment he could spend long periods of time outdoors and never suffered a single insect bite. He thought it was interesting that all biting insects were able to detect the chemicals in his body and they left him alone. Fortunately he was cured and is happy to be swatting mosquitoes once more.

[Hartofafool]

anyone else hoping that this video was gonna be about perfectly repelling mosquitos?

[JohnFoley]

The 580 dislikes are from people squishing a mosquito that landed on the dislike button.

[writeordie]

My parents' secret recipe was garlic, lots and lots of garlic. My secret recipe is never going outside.

[ScrapPalletMan]

EVERY time I get bit by a mosquito, for the next 2 hours I have imaginary Phantom bites all over my body.... hate it!

[AndaPet]

This is true! For about 17 years my husband and I lived in a very mosquito ridden area. We decided that dosing ourselves with bug repellent every day wasn’t a good idea. So we got bitten - maybe 50-100 bites per day. It didn’t take long to become immune. The only problem is at some point we both got West Nile! West Nile is bad but the upside is, we recovered and are now immune to that too.

[sysghost]

I've discovered that being sweaty and stinky keeps the mosquitos away from me most of the times. Although while this work for me, a friend of mine who tried the same tactic had the total opposite effect. He attracted even more while being sweaty and stinky.

[pooyafitness]

My problem isn't the bites. It is the noise of the mosquitos specially at the middle of the night.

[MrEnky]

The electric racket is more satisfying...

[Patrick_Cooper]

At some point in my life, I noticed that when everyone else around me is getting bit, I didn't. I can't remember the last time I was bitten, I spend fair amount of time outdoors. I guess being a mean, bitter old man, has its advantages...

[UnOrigionalOne]

I became immune to the mosquito bites in my home town. Three points: I am still immune today. I am not immune to other varieties of mosquitos. I am immune to this day 20 years later.

[lindanguyen]

Mosquito: Sees me for .1 seconds
The mosquito: hehe ye boi

[A_Final_Hit]

Instructions unclear. Arm stuck in an alligator's mouth.

[steveseliger]

I worked in the Adirondacks for several summers when I was in my 20’s. We were bitten by mosquitoes constantly all summer long. At first I had huge, severely uncomfortable reactions. Then, suddenly, after two summers of this, I stopped having any reaction at all. I’m now 60, and no matter where I go I am immune. No reaction at all. Several of my friends who worked with me have developed similar life long immunity.

[TonyaTko]

🤔🙄 so basically, 6 months of extreme torture and malaria, only to go to a different area and start all over again

[Belboz]

In the Scouts we had swarms of Mosquitoes at summer camp. Every year I got hundreds of bumps the first couple of days, nearly covered. But then by midweek the bumps subsided. I stopped noticing the mosquios as much, but I was still being bitten. I'd frequently only notice I was being bitten if I saw it, sometimes up to half a dozen on a single arm or leg. But these new bites never swelled.

Every year there after, the initial phase grew less and less intense, and lasted shorter. After around 8 years I pretty much stopped having any reaction to them at all. Yesterday I went on a hike with the kids, got over a dozen bites, and not one bump... it's been 20 years since summer camp.

[Master_Therion]

Well that sucks. And here I was hoping for a treatment that didn't totally bite.

[paul]

That would explain why after years of playing outside in swampland, I didn’t get itchy welts anymore by the time I was a teen

[thatryguy]

Strongly scented plants help to keep mosquitoes away. Rosemary, lavender, Mint, Basil etc.