Louisiana’s Mosquito Woes: How Clothing Colors Impact Insect Attraction

Living in Louisiana means we are constantly dealing with mosquitoes. Most people even joke that the mosquito is the true state bird of Louisiana!

Fighting mosquitoes is usually a daily battle for us, so any advice or research we can use to make us less interesting to mosquitoes makes most people's ears perk up.

According to research, mosquitoes are very attracted to certain colors while ignoring others for the most part.

We may have to reorganize our closets so that we only use our summer clothes with certain colors!

It turns out that the University of Washington's research into this matter found another reason mosquitoes are attracted to us. The lead author of the study is UW professor of biology Jeffrey Riffell.

What they found while researching this topic has him rethinking what he tells people when they constantly ask him how they can avoid mosquito bites. He says research has always shown that mosquitoes are attracted to the following three things:

Your breath

The temperature of your skin

Your sweat

Now, color has been added to his list. It truly makes a difference which color you are wearing. When you are trying to fend off the little blood suckers, you should avoid a few colors. He adds that there are other colors that will help to repel mosquitoes.

Colors You Shouldn't Wear (Mosquitoes Will Be More Attracted to You)

1. Do Not Wear Red Clothes Unless You Want to Get Bitten by Mosquitoes!

According to the research, mosquitoes generally love red and since our bodies have lots of red shades in our skin, we are attractive. Therefore, don't wear red clothes because you are just making the situation even worse.

2. Do Not Wear Black Clothes Because Mosquitoes Will Feast on You!

In another piece of information, researchers discovered that mosquitoes are also attracted to the way they perceive color. If you don't want to get bitten, choose another color.

3. Don't Wear Orange Clothes! The Color is Attractive to Mosquitoes!

The shade orange is very attractive to mosquitoes because it's very close to red. You know what to do if you want to avoid mosquitoes dump your orange-colored clothing for something different.

4. It's Best Not to Wear the Color, Cyan (Light Blue)! Mosquitoes Like It!

This color is interesting. It basically is light blue, and mosquitoes zero in on you if you are wearing this color, but as you will read below, a darker version of this color is actually something mosquitoes will ignore! Go figure.

Now that you know what colors you should shy away from with your summer wardrobe, we also know which colors mosquitoes are less attracted to.

1. Grab a Regular Blue Shirt to Wear Outside!

Researchers say darker shades of blue are not enticing to mosquitoes. If you're planning your outfit for the day go for royal or navy blue so you won't be attractive to the evil little bloodsuckers.

2. It's a Great Idea to Wear a Plain White T-shirt! Mosquitoes Aren't Interested!

White is described as being all of the colors coming together in one. But, because it's so light and plain, mosquitoes are likely to pass you by in favor of people who are wearing other colors.

3. Choose Something Green to Wear to Be Less Interesting to Mosquitoes.

With green being one of the predominant colors in nature it's not really surprising that this shade doesn't do much for mosquitoes. They are much more interested in red and orange.

4. Purple Is a Great Choice as Mosquitoes Will Be Less Attracted to You!

Purple typically is a mixture of red and blue, so this is interesting. Red is something that attracts mosquitoes, but darker hues of blue are not attractive to the pesky little stingers.

You may not decide to change up your entire closet just to ward off mosquitoes, but it's not a bad idea to save this article for when you know you are going to be outside for an extended period of time.