This is the color that attracts them most according to science.
Mosquitoes are known to be attracted to your breath, sweat and body temperature. Now researchers from the University of Washington (USA) have identified a fourth signal: color!
This article was originally published in May 2022.
In the room, they tracked the path of insects that had a choice between two colored targets. The results: mosquitoes ignored green, white, purple or even blue, preferring to fly towards black, cyan, orange and, above all, red. So avoiding wearing clothes in these colors could be a way to reduce bites.
World Mosquito Day: What is it?
We celebrate World Mosquito Day on August 20 because it is the date on which Dr. Ronald Ross, a former British physician, bacteriologist and Nobel Prize winner, discovered in 1897 that female mosquitoes are responsible for transmitting the malaria virus to humans. It was he who decided that this day would henceforth be dedicated to mosquitoes.
That’s why August 20 is a day dedicated to raising awareness about diseases transmitted by insects. In fact, mosquitoes are the most dangerous animal to humans. According to the World Health Organization, they are responsible for more than a million deaths each year, putting them ahead of humans and snakes (third place).
Nature Communications, February 2022
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