Researchers at the University of Washington found that mosquitoes are attracted to the colors red, orange, black, and cyan. They noted that insects tend to ignore green, purple, blue, and white, suggesting that these are the best colors to wear outdoors this summer. Jeffrey Riffle, a biology professor at the University of Washington, stated: "One of the most common questions I get is: What can I do to prevent mosquitoes from biting me? I would say there are three main signals that attract mosquitoes: your breath, your sweat, and your skin temperature." He added: "In this study, we found a fourth signal, which is color."
The study, published in 2022, tracked the behaviors of female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Like all mosquito species, females feed only on blood, and Aedes aegypti bites can transmit dengue fever, yellow fever, chikungunya virus, and Zika, which can lead to death. Researchers observed the insects in miniature test rooms filled with different scents and visual patterns, including a colored dot or human hand. Without any scent stimuli, mosquitoes largely ignored the dot at the bottom of the room, regardless of its color. However, when a spray of carbon dioxide was added, mosquitoes flew towards the dots that were red, orange, black, or cyan, but avoided those that were green, blue, or purple.
