Mosquitoes are constant, irritating companions in warm weather. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could deter mosquitoes with what we wear? Well, we may be able to. A team of researchers studied how the yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) responds to color, and it turns out mosquitoes prefer some colors and are turned off by others. This color preference, however, only exists in the presence of carbon dioxide (CO2), which we exhale when we breathe.
Lead study author Jeff Riffell says: “One of the most common questions I’m asked is ‘What can I do to stop mosquitoes from biting me?’” According to the study findings, color shows remarkable potential to help in the fight, both in clothing and in developing new mosquito-fighting technologies.
Mosquitoes in the study loved red, orange, black and cyan, which is the color between green and blue on the visible light spectrum.
Mosquitoes in the study did not like blue, green, violet and white. While the results are promising, it’s unlikely that wearing these colors as a stand-alone defense is sufficient to avoid bites this summer, says David Price, ACE, director of technical services at Mosquito Joe. You can wear insect repellent to mask the CO2 and other odors our bodies give off.
I – Word Understanding
Deter – to scare off / to avoid
Yellow fever – a disease caused by a virus that is spread through mosquito bites. Symptoms take 3–6 days to develop and include fever, chills, headache, backache, and muscle aches. About 15% of people who get yellow fever develop serious illness that can lead to bleeding, shock, organ failure, and sometimes death.
II – Have Your Say
1, What is your go-to insect repellent when it’s mosquito season? How effective is it?
What are the popular products in your country?
2, Black is a well-known magnet for mosquitoes but it is also a classic color when it comes to clothing. W
hat are your preferences when it comes to clothing color?
