Mosquitoes track your breath, not your light. Unlike moths, mosquitoes don't have a strong attraction to light. Instead, female mosquitoes use specialized receptors to detect carbon dioxide in the air. Your breath creates a chemical trail that helps guide them toward you. So when you exhale near a light source, you're essentially creating a biological trail leading straight to where you're standing. Sudden bright light can also make mosquitoes change their behavior. Many nocturnal mosquitoes are adapted to flying in dim environments, so suddenly switching on a bright ceiling light can cause them to fly away or seek darker, sheltered areas. They may disappear into curtain folds, gaps around furniture, or other hidden spots, making them surprisingly difficult to find. And when it comes to actually hitting one, a towel can have an advantage over your bare hand. A fast moving hand pushes air ahead of it, which can sometimes give the mosquito enough warning to escape. A rapidly snapping towel can move through the air much faster at its tip, making it harder for the mosquito to react in time.