They sometimes come to disturb our long summer evenings: mosquitoes are often feared when temperatures rise. Lemongrass, essential oils, candles… There are many tips to avoid as much as possible bites. Problem: they are not always successful!
What if there was a particularly effective gesture to protect yourself? This is suggested by a study published in February 2022 in the journal Nature Communications. Conducted by researchers at the University of Washington (United States), it reveals that certain colors particularly attract mosquitoes. Avoiding wearing clothes with these colors would thus limit the risk of stings.
For the purposes of this work, the scientists analyzed the behavior of Aedes aegypti, a species of mosquito that can transmit the sighdengue et Zika. They explain that before biting, these insects are first attracted by certain odors, such as that of CO2 emitted by human respiration. These odors would then influence the reaction of mosquitoes to certain visual signals.
After diffusing CO2, the researchers found that the mosquitoes remained indifferent to colors such as green, purple, blue and white. Conversely, they were attracted to colors such as red, orange, black and cyan blue. The researchers also explain that human skin emits a red signal for mosquitoes. (…)