Four Colors Mosquitoes Love and You Should Avoid Wearing This Summer

It’s that time of year when the calm sky is filled with an annoying buzzing sound.

Scientists predict mosquito season will be “very bad”, warning of an increase in insect-borne diseases.

Although there are sprays, candles and creams that repel pests, another method depends on the color of the clothes you are wearing.

Researchers at the University of Washington found that mosquitoes are attracted to red, orange, black and cyan, a color between blue and green.

But insects have been found to ignore green, purple, blue and white, suggesting these are the best clothes to wear outside this summer.

Jeffrey Riffell, professor of biology at the University of Washington, said in a statement: “One of the most frequently asked questions is, ‘What can I do to stop mosquitoes from biting me?’ »

“I used to say that there were three major things that attract mosquitoes: your breath, your sweat and the temperature of your skin.

“In this study, we found a fourth clue: the color red, which is found not only on your clothes, but also on everyone’s skin.

“It doesn’t matter what tone your skin is, we all give off a strong red signature. Filtering out attractive colors from our skin or wearing clothing that avoids these colors could be another way to prevent mosquito bites.

The study, published in 2022, was conducted by tracking the behaviors of female yellow fever mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti, when presented with different types of visual and olfactory cues.

Like all mosquito species, only females drink blood and the bites of A. aegypti can transmit dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya and Zika, which can lead to death.

The researchers observed the insects in miniature test chambers filled with an odor and different visual patterns, including a colored dot or a human hand.

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Without any olfactory stimulus, mosquitoes largely ignored a spot at the back of the chamber, regardless of its color.

When a jet of carbon dioxide was added, the mosquitoes flew toward red, orange, black, or cyan dots, but avoided those that were green, blue, and purple.

Humans exhale carbon dioxide, which insects can smell, and the experiment showed that the gas made mosquitoes’ eyes prefer certain wavelengths in the visual spectrum.

This is similar to what can happen when humans smell something good.

“Imagine you’re on a sidewalk and you smell pie crust and cinnamon,” Riffell said.

“That’s probably a sign that there’s a bakery nearby, and you might want to start looking for it. Here we began to discover what visual elements mosquitoes look for after smelling their own version of a bakery.

“Most humans have “true color” vision. We see different wavelengths of light as distinct colors: 650 nanometers appear red, while wavelengths of 450 nanometers appear blue, for example.

Mosquito season begins in March and continues through the fall, and while every state sees its fair share, Los Angeles, California saw the largest infestation in 2023.

According to Termiix, New York City came in second, followed by Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas, Atlanta, Georgia, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

This is due to urbanization and housing construction which contribute to the increase in insect numbers.

They tend to accumulate where there is standing water so they can reproduce.