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Is there an advantage to insects of their bites making us itch?

Insect bites are often itchy, prompting many of us to scratch. Our readers examine whether this might confer any survival advantage to the bugs

21 July 2021

Âé¶¹´«Ã½. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Man scratch the itch with hand; Shutterstock ID 404139892; purchase_order: Photo; job: News web; client: Âé¶¹´«Ã½; other:

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What is the survival advantage to insects of their bites making us itch?

Gillian Peall

Macclesfield, Cheshire, UK

Biting insects are after our blood. To make it easier for them to imbibe it, their saliva contains an anticoagulant to stop clotting. The chemicals in their saliva enter our bloodstream, activating our immune system, which then sends a shedload of chemicals called histamines to the site in order to fight off the intruders. It is the histamines that cause the…

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