An American study has proven it: mosquitoes are attracted to certain colors while others, on the contrary, repel them. Green, yellow, black, red… Verdict of what to wear!
Summer marks the main period of mosquito activity. And although there are many repellents on the market, sometimes it is difficult to escape their bites. Yet a simple way could help keep mosquitoes away. Indeed, some clothing colors would tend to attract mosquitoes, and should therefore be avoided, suggest several studies, including the most comprehensive on this subject, published in February 2022 in the journal NatureCommunications, conducted by researchers at the University of Washington (United States). “Mosquitoes seem to use smells to help them distinguish what is nearby, such as a host to bitesaid Jeffrey Riffell, professor of biology and co-author of the study, in a communicated.
“When they smell specific compounds, like CO2 from our breath, this smell stimulates the eyes to look for specific colors and other visual patterns, which are associated with, and moving towards, a potential host”. In other words, mosquitoes would use their sense of smell to find hosts (to bite). Thus, the color of the food sources of these insects, such as flowers or warm-blooded beings, can play an essential role in their recognition and location.
Mosquitoes fly to these colors when they smell hot blood
To achieve this observation, the researchers studied mosquitoes in small special chambers in which they placed colored dots in red, orange, black and cyan (turquoise blue) tones and others in shades of green, blue and purple, and sometimes carbon dioxide (Co2). In rooms containing Co2, mosquitoes were flying towards the red, orange, black or cyan dots and ignored other colors, such as green, purple, blue, and white. The experiment therefore revealed that when mosquitoes smell Co2, they preferred certain so-called “warm” colors.
The researchers believe these findings would help explain how mosquitoes find hosts, since human skin, regardless of its overall pigmentation, emits a strong red-orange “signal” in the eyes of mosquitoes. “These experiments expose the first steps that mosquitoes use to find hosts.“, Riffell said before advocating, “filter those attractive colors onto our skin, or wear clothes that avoid these colors, could be another way to prevent a mosquito from biting“. In summer, we therefore put on light, blue, green or purple clothes!