What Color Attracts Mosquitoes?
Nobody will be surprised that mosquitoes search their prey based on temperature. Or that they react to the carbon dioxide we breathe out. But it also seems they have favorite colors.
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A study from the University of Washington shows what do mosquitoes in the final phase of targeting their victim. The experiments were done with the tropical mosquito Aedes aegypti These mosquitoes come from Africa but we can also find them in subtropical and tropical areas all around the world. We would love to get rid of them. They can carry dengue fever, the disease known as chikungunya, yellow fever, the zika virus, and other horrible diseases in place that could otherwise be paradise.
Professor Jeffrey Riffell – a biologist and the research team lead – described the behavior of the mosquito in the following way. First, they use smell. They register changes in carbon dioxide concentration. After being stimulated by carbon dioxide they add their eyes into the process and search for certain wavelengths.
So, how did the scientist come to the conclusion that color plays a role? With a simple experiment. As it tends to be in nature, it is the female that drinks the blood. So they took female mosquitoes and put different colored targets in test chambers. As expected the mosquitoes paid no attention to them at first. Only, when a bit of carbon dioxide was introduced they were interested in colored targets. But not all of them. They were interested in longer light wavelengths. So, it seems mosquitoes prefer orange, red and black colors. Most likely because human skin sends out a similar signal.
So, if you truly hate mosquitoes you shouldn’t wear these colors.
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