5 ms·

Does smoking (or smelling like smoke) keep mosquitoes away? I'm wondering if some second-order effect, like malaria prevention, led doctors back then to think t

by defen 10y ago

Does smoking (or smelling like smoke) keep mosquitoes away? I'm wondering if some second-order effect, like malaria prevention, led doctors back then to think that smoking was healthy.

sysbell 10y ago
No.
justsaysmthng 10y ago
Yes, if you blow the smoke on them, they don't like it. But I was bitten countless times when I was a smoker, so it's not a very effective remedy.
Someone 10y ago
In an age where soap and taking a bath were virtually unheard of, tobacco smoke must have smelled reasonably nice. And of course, there's http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3001541/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3001541/ (2010): "Cigarette smoking has been shown to increase serum hemoglobin, increase total lung capacity and stimulate weight loss, factors that all contribute to enhanced performance in endurance sports." :-)
fallinghawks 10y ago
No, it doesn't. Back when I smoked I would blow smoke at them and they would just duck and find a different direction to attack.
- jwdunne 10y ago
  Works better when you blow the direct draw and not post inhale absorption. Still, its a waste and just drives them crazy so doubles the annoyance. I don't think the nicotine in a drag is high enough to do much. From what I remember, much higher concentrations were or are used in ant killer.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
eatbitseveryday 10y ago
Mosquitos are attracted to carbon dioxide[1] which we exhale, and heat sources (our body). Tobacco smoking produces a lot of this gas[2]. My conclusion (an educated guess) would be "no". [1] http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/mosquitoes-find-you-by-your-carbon-dioxide-say-researchers-1.3162441 http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/mosquitoes-find-yo... [2] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20387988 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20387988

5 ms·

Does smoking (or smelling like smoke) keep mosquitoes away? I'm wondering if some second-order effect, like malaria prevention, led doctors back then to think t

by defen 10y ago

Does smoking (or smelling like smoke) keep mosquitoes away? I'm wondering if some second-order effect, like malaria prevention, led doctors back then to think that smoking was healthy.

sysbell 10y ago
No.
justsaysmthng 10y ago
Yes, if you blow the smoke on them, they don't like it. But I was bitten countless times when I was a smoker, so it's not a very effective remedy.
Someone 10y ago
In an age where soap and taking a bath were virtually unheard of, tobacco smoke must have smelled reasonably nice. And of course, there's http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3001541/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3001541/ (2010): "Cigarette smoking has been shown to increase serum hemoglobin, increase total lung capacity and stimulate weight loss, factors that all contribute to enhanced performance in endurance sports." :-)
fallinghawks 10y ago
No, it doesn't. Back when I smoked I would blow smoke at them and they would just duck and find a different direction to attack.
- jwdunne 10y ago
  Works better when you blow the direct draw and not post inhale absorption. Still, its a waste and just drives them crazy so doubles the annoyance. I don't think the nicotine in a drag is high enough to do much. From what I remember, much higher concentrations were or are used in ant killer.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
eatbitseveryday 10y ago
Mosquitos are attracted to carbon dioxide[1] which we exhale, and heat sources (our body). Tobacco smoking produces a lot of this gas[2]. My conclusion (an educated guess) would be "no". [1] http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/mosquitoes-find-you-by-your-carbon-dioxide-say-researchers-1.3162441 http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/mosquitoes-find-yo... [2] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20387988 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20387988