This is the color that attracts tiger mosquitoes the most (and the color they hate)

Summer is here and so are the mosquitoes. If repellents of all kinds appear on supermarket shelves, no one can deny that mosquitoes are becoming increasingly resistant to all these chemical products in one form or another. The spread of the tiger mosquito, which also bites during the day, does not help the problem. Also to reduce the risk of bites, it is a good idea to protect yourself with products but also avoid some of the bugs that you attract more. Such as wearing certain colors of clothing.

A study published in the journal nature Conducted by scientists at the University of Washington, tiger mosquitoes, after detecting the carbon dioxide (CO2) we exhale, are attracted to certain colors. They use scents to mark their surroundings, especially to detect a potential host to bite. When they smell certain compounds like carbon dioxide from our breath, their eyes start searching for these colors and other visual patterns associated with the potential host.

In their experiments, the researchers observed the behavior of female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes (the scientific name for tiger mosquitoes) by exposing them to different visual and olfactory stimuli. Without odor stimulation, mosquitoes largely ignored the colored dots. But after the carbon dioxide spray, they moved toward the red, orange, black, or cyan dots, while ignoring the green, blue, or purple dots. Therefore the former should be avoided while the latter seems less dangerous. Jeffrey Revell, a professor of biology at the University of Washington, explains that mosquitoes are particularly attracted to the red color found on our clothes and skin. Because, whatever the color of our skin, we all emit a strong red signal. Therefore, avoiding wearing clothing in this color can be another strategy to prevent bites.

“Imagine you are on the sidewalk and smelling cinnamon pie. Revell explained. This is probably a sign that there is a bakery nearby, and you will start looking for it. “Here we started to discover what visual elements mosquitoes look for after smelling their own version of a bakery.” This research paves the way for new methods to combat mosquitoes based on the colors that attract them. Understanding these visual and olfactory preferences can lead to innovative solutions to avoid bites and reduce disease transmission.