The annoying, blood-sucking mosquitoes may be avoided at all costs when the season arrives. However, recent study has discovered that the colors you’re wearing have a significant effect in how appealing you are to mosquitoes.
Study published in Nature Communications found this to be true. Female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were followed by researchers from the University of Washington while they received visual and olfactory signals. The mosquitoes were placed in tiny test rooms where they were exposed to various stimuli, such as a colorful dot or the hand of a human.
When mosquitoes are looking for food, they first smell carbon dioxide in your breath, in case you were unaware. Those cues cause them to look for signs of food, such as particular colors and patterns in the environment.
No matter what color the dot was, mosquitos in the lab disregarded it when there was no odor like carbon dioxide to attract them. Once carbon dioxide was introduced into the chamber, the birds flew toward red, orange, black or cyan spots. Green, blue, and purple dots were not taken into consideration.
If you’ve ever wondered what this implies for you as the weather warms up, these results are sure to give you some food for thought. Here’s what bug specialists (or entomologists) have to say.
What attracts mosquitoes to red?
There are a few hypotheses, but this research didn’t go there. One is that when mosquitoes glance at you, they see red since that’s the color your skin is.
According to an entomologist and Ehrlich Pest Control Director of Operations Education and Training, Nancy Troyano, Ph.D., reddish hue is reflected when light comes into contact with human skin regardless of skin tone. To assist them find their prey, mosquitoes may utilize red as one of a number of signals.
It’s natural to imagine that mosquitoes are attracted to blood because of the color red, but Timothy Best, technical manager at, says it’s “unlikely.”
Mosquitoes have compound eyes, which allow them to see, however their sharpness is low and they don’t discern crisp pictures. According to him, mosquitoes use three different ways to detect blood. You’ll be able to tell whether or not you’ve been infected by detecting carbon dioxide levels in the air, as well as by looking at the color of your skin.
In light of the fact that there are over 200 mosquito species in the United States, “this attraction is likely to be a species-specific characteristic, and not all encompassing of all species,” Best said.
In addition to red, blue, and yellow, what about orange, black, and blue? Mosquitoes like darker hues, according to Best. According to him, mosquitoes avoid biting in direct sunlight because “bright colors are viewed as a danger by mosquitoes.” This is because mosquitoes are very vulnerable to dehydration, and bright hues may evoke a sense of danger and induce avoidance. When it comes to mosquitoes, their advanced antennas might help them discover a host faster since darker hues mimic shadows, which absorb and hold heat better.
It’s not always the case. As Troyano points out, mosquitoes are drawn to humans by a variety of variables, which include chemical signals like perspiration and carbon dioxide scents and heat, as well as visual cues like color. Mosquitoes aren’t only drawn to you because of what you’re wearing.
The best advice is to go with lighter clothing if you’re going to be in an area where mosquitoes are prevalent, but if you have the choice, go with the darker option. “Mosquitoes are drawn to dark hues, whereas bright colors blend in,” he explains. If you’re looking to reduce the number of bites, try wearing brighter colors.
It’s true, according to Troyano, that avoiding regions where mosquitoes are known to dwell by wearing clothing in colors like (again, red, orange, black, and cyan) may help reduce your likelihood of getting bitten by one, but there are other things you can do. There are a number of them, according to the CDC:
When it comes to avoiding being bitten, Troyano adds that everyone of these precautions will help. Also, if you can wear anything other than red or a dark color, that would be ideal.