Experts Reveal Why Mosquitoes Prefer Certain People and How Asian Tiger Mosquitoes Spread in Israel
How 2 Israeli newsrooms covered this story — translated into English and compared side by side.
By אלון רזניק
First reported by Mako · Jul 7, 2026
What happened
Dr. Alon Zilberbush explains that female mosquitoes are attracted to specific body odors and blood components, with the invasive Asian tiger mosquito increasingly spreading in Israel due to climate change. Unlike the common house mosquito active mainly at night, the Asian tiger mosquito bites aggressively during the day and prefers humans. Blue light traps are ineffective, and the tiger mosquito population is expected to grow as the common mosquito season declines.
- 01Female mosquitoes are attracted to human body odors and blood type O emits more attractive scents.
- 02Male mosquitoes feed on sugar and do not bite humans; females need blood for egg development.
- 03Blue light insect traps are ineffective against most mosquito species in Israel.
- 04The common house mosquito is the main night-active species and a vector for West Nile virus.
- 05The invasive Asian tiger mosquito arrived in Israel in 2002 and bites aggressively during the day.
- 06Climate change and human activity facilitate the tiger mosquito's global spread, including to colder regions.
Summary translated & synthesized from the sources below by baba. Read each original for the full report.
Full coverage · 2 outlets
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