A true sign of summer is mosquitoes and the bite they bring along with them. And if you have been outside lately you know they are here. We have seen a lot of questions popping up on social media asking if there are more this year.So we went to the expert at Clemson University to ask all the mosquito-related questions.Here is what Eric Benson, an extension entomologist at Clemson University, tells us: Are there more mosquitoes this year? “There’s lots of species of mosquitoes,” Benson said. “I don’t have data to say whether there’s actually more numbers this year than other years. Certainly, this warm weather doesn’t hurt them in the numbers, and rainfall helps them. And just from my own experience, there are plenty of healthy mosquitoes out and about South Carolina right now.”What is the most common mosquitoes in our area? Benson says the most common mosquito in our area is the Asian Tiger Mosquito. Those are the black mosquitoes with white stripes. Benson says they bite primarily during the day and in the early morning and evening hours. Are mosquitoes attracted to certain smells, blood types? “There’s data out there that show that certain people are more attractive than other people, and it’s complicated,” according to Benson. “There was a study in 2004 out of Sri Lanka that said that one particular species preferred people with type O blood over A and B. There’s been genetic links. Some people have markers on their genes that predispose them to be more attractive.”He adds that body temperature and odor are the main attractors. For example, a sweet-smelling perfume may be more attractive to a mosquito. Are mosquitoes attracted to certain colors? Benson says some research shows mosquitoes are attracted to darker colors, like red and black.