Patrick Oconnell
Mosquitoes are attracted to certain people more than others. They are drawn to dark and bold colours, floral-scented soaps, deodorants, perfumes, and moisturisers, and they are also attracted to smelly feet and socks. Interestingly, mosquitoes are also drawn to Limburger cheese. This is because the bacteria that produce the rind on Limburger cheese, Brevibacterium linens, is similar to the bacteria that cause foot odour, Brevibacterium epidermidis.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Mosquito species | Anopheles gambiae s.s. |
| Type of cheese | Limburger cheese |
| Mosquito behavior | Attracted to the scent of Limburger cheese |
| Reason for attraction | Similarity in scent to human feet |
| Bacteria on feet | Brevibacterium epidermidis |
| Bacteria on cheese | Brevibacterium linens |
| Chemical compounds | Carboxylic fatty acids, volatile fatty acids |
| Trapping method | Odour-baited traps |
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What You'll Learn
Limburger cheese is an attractant for mosquitoes
The human foot and Limburger cheese have a genus of bacteria in common: Brevibacterium. Brevibacterium epidermidis is the bacteria that grows between human toes, while Brevibacterium linens is a type of "smear bacteria" that produces the rind on soft, smelly cheeses. In a moist environment, B. linens bacteria break down proteins to produce volatile fatty acids, which mosquitoes are attracted to.
The discovery of Limburger cheese as an attractant for mosquitoes is expected to accelerate the development of odour-baited traps for malaria mosquito surveillance and control in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Mosquitoes are drawn to the scent of Limburger cheese
The connection between mosquitoes, human feet, and Limburger cheese was first explored by Bart Knols, a graduate student at Wageningen Agricultural University. During his experiment, Knols sat under a mosquito net wearing only his underwear. He observed that the mosquitoes were attracted to his feet. When he washed his feet with disinfectant soap, the mosquitoes stopped biting his feet but continued to be drawn to him.
Knols then decided to test the hypothesis that mosquitoes were attracted to foot odour by using a piece of Limburger cheese. He baited a standard trap with air that had been passed over the cheese, and the mosquitoes flew straight towards it. This experiment confirmed that mosquitoes are attracted to the scent of Limburger cheese, likely due to the presence of certain fatty acids that resemble those found on human feet.
The discovery of Limburger cheese as a mosquito attractant has important implications for malaria control. The Anopheles gambiae mosquito, commonly found in Africa, is a vector for malaria and has been known to cause hundreds of thousands of deaths annually. By understanding the mosquitoes' attraction to certain scents, researchers can develop odour-baited traps to monitor and control the mosquito population in malaria-endemic regions, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Limburger cheese resembles foot odour, which attracts mosquitoes
Limburger cheese is a semi-soft, washed-rind cheese that originated in the historical Duchy of Limburg, now divided into three countries: Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. It is well-known for its strong smell, which many have likened to foot odour. The cheese is still made in Monroe, Wisconsin, the only place in America where it is produced.
The cheese's infamous aroma is due to the specific bacterium used in the fermentation process, Brevibacterium linens, which is also responsible for the reddish-orange rind that develops on the cheese. This bacterium is a type of "smear bacteria", which produces the rind on soft, smelly cheeses. It is also the same bacterium responsible for human body odour, particularly foot odour.
The human foot and Limburger cheese have a common denominator—a genus of bacteria. Brevibacterium epidermidis is the type of bacteria that can be found between toes, causing stinky socks. On the other hand, Brevibacterium linens, the bacteria on Limburger cheese, feast on proteins in a moist and salty environment, producing a smell that attracts mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes are drawn to the scent of Limburger cheese and its derivatives. They are attracted to the cheese's scent, which is so powerful that it can even divert them away from human targets. According to a paper in the Lancet, "gaschromatographic analysis of toenail scrapings and Limburger cheese odour have shown strong similarity in their carboxylic fatty acid composition." This explains why mosquitoes are attracted to Limburger cheese and human feet, which have similar odours.
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Mosquitoes are drawn to the fatty acids produced by bacteria on Limburger cheese
Mosquitoes are attracted to Limburger cheese, which is a pungent Dutch cheese. The cheese's smell is similar to human foot odour, specifically that of toe scrapings, which mosquitoes are drawn to. This is because the cheese is a breeding ground for the Brevibacterium linens bacterium, which also thrives in the moist, salty environment of human feet. On the cheese, the bacteria break down proteins, producing volatile fatty acids. These fatty acids are the same ones found in human foot odour, and it is these that attract mosquitoes.
The discovery that mosquitoes are drawn to Limburger cheese is important because it can help in the development of mosquito traps. This is especially significant in the case of the mosquito species Anopheles gambiae, which is a vector for malaria. The use of odour-baited traps could help control the spread of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Anopheles gambiae mosquito is attracted to human foot odour, and particularly to the bacteria Brevibacterium epidermidis, which is found on human feet. This is the same bacteria that produces the rind on Limburger cheese. The cheese is also similar to human feet in that it requires a moist, salty environment. Cheesemakers wash the cheese with water to provide these conditions, and this is why Limburger cheese is referred to as a 'washed rind cheese'.
The fact that mosquitoes are attracted to Limburger cheese is also related to the fact that mosquitoes are drawn to human sweat and skin odour. Limburger cheese has a strong smell, which is produced by the bacteria breaking down proteins. This smell is similar to that of human sweat and skin odour, which contain the same bacteria that are found on human feet.
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Limburger cheese is used as bait in mosquito traps
The efficacy of this trap has been tested in semi-field investigations conducted inside screen houses. The trap consists of a plastic container covered with a loose lid and filled with water, an insulated container, a trapping device, and a plastic bucket. The Limburger cheese used in these experiments is imported from the Netherlands and stored in a refrigerator when not in use.
The studies are typically done in multiple phases to test the efficacy of the trap in sampling mosquitoes. The trap baited with Limburger cheese, moisture, and heat collected a higher number of An. gambiae s.s. than when baited with only two of these components. Ample evidence suggests that odour-baited traps can provide an objective monitoring tool for the host-seeking fraction of mosquito vectors of diseases like malaria and Bancroftian filariasis.
The reason mosquitoes are attracted to Limburger cheese is thought to be related to the presence of bacteria. Brevibacterium epidermidis is a type of bacteria found on human feet, while Brevibacterium linens is a type of bacteria that produces the rind on soft, smelly cheeses like Limburger. Gas chromatographic analysis has shown a strong similarity in the carboxylic fatty acid composition of toenail scrapings and Limburger cheese odour.
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Frequently asked questions
Mosquitoes are drawn to the scent of Limburger cheese and its derivatives. The cheese's smell is caused by the fatty acids produced by a bacterium called Brevibacterium linens. These chemicals are very similar to those that come from human toe scrapings, which are colonized by another bacterium, Brevibacterium epidermidis.
Mosquitoes are guided to humans by kairomones, which are chemical signals that they detect through smell. They are also drawn to the carbon dioxide that humans exhale and the lactic acid produced by exercise.
The Anopheles gambiae mosquito, which transmits malaria, is attracted to Limburger cheese.
