Choosing The Right Colors Can Keep Mosquitoes At Bay
(KPEL News) - If you want to be less attractive to mosquitoes in Louisiana, you should actually make very clear decisions when it comes to the color of clothes you wear each day.
In addition to factors like your breath, sweat, and blood type, certain colors can be more attractive to mosquitoes.
Louisiana offers a bounty of activities, but dealing with mosquitoes can turn a superb adventure into pure misery.
The last thing you want to deal with while you're trying to have fun is worrying about getting bitten by tons of mosquitoes when you're trying to have fun outdoors.
We are all aware that various products, whether industrial or natural, offer some level of protection against mosquitoes. You have options, but often you have to deal with funny smells and heavy lotions and potions.
If you don't want to deal with sticky, smelly products, there's another consideration when you head out into the great outdoors or simply to your back patio.
However, if you really want to ward off the annoying buggers, you might need to think of something else.
Let's remind ourselves why we want to prevent mosquito bites and which color of clothing products we can purchase to help.
These Colors As They Will Be Less Attractive To Mosquitoes
Regular Blue Is Good to Wear Outdoors
Blue, just a regular, plain old blue color, is a good choice if you are heading outside and want to be less attractive to pesky mosquitoes.
White Doesn't Attract Mosquitoes
White is a great color choice for summer because it keeps you cooler and is less attractive to mosquitoes.
Go for Green to Distract Mosquitoes
Green is the most predominant color in nature, at least in Louisiana. Mosquitoes are likely to be less interested in your delicious skin if you wear green.
Purple Is a Deterrant for Blood Suckers
Purple is a color adored by many people in Louisiana because it's one of the LSU Tigers' colors.
READ MORE: ALCOHOL COULD MAKE YOU A MOSQUITO MAGNET
Colors You Shouldn't Wear Because They Attract Mosquitoes
Avoid Wearing Red in Louisiana to Avoid Mosquitoes
Red is one of the colors experts recommend avoiding if you are trying to avoid mosquito bites. Red is very attractive to the blood suckers.
Don't Choose Black Clothing When Trying to Avoid Mosquito Bites
clothing in summer absorbs more light, making you feel hot and sweaty. It turns out that the color is also more attractive to mosquitoes.
Cyan or Light Blue Should Not Be Chosen If You're Avoiding Mosquitoes
Cyan is a fancy name for a color that is basically light blue. Regular blue clothes are good, but light blue is an invitation for pests to bite you.
Orange is a fun color for summer or fall, but if you want to keep mosquitoes away, it's advisable to avoid wearing it. Terminix says these colors are very attractive to mosquitoes.
What Scientists Say about Mosquitoes and Colors
Check out this report from Verify:
The Blood-Sucking Mosquitoes Are the Females
Pfizer reports that female mosquitoes are the only mosquitoes that bite. They are doing it for the rich nutrients in our blood, like proteins.
They are attracted to carbon dioxide, which we all emit from our breath, and some colors do impact their decisions about who to feast on.
The Terminix website reports,
Another reason why mosquitoes may be drawn to red and orange is that all human skin tones register as a strong red-orange hue to their eyes. Colors on the red-orange spectrum are particularly attractive to mosquitoes when combined with biological odors and the presence of carbon dioxide within a 100-foot range.
One Plant in Louisiana Is a Natural Mosquito Repellent
You can also achieve a natural repellent by using products containing lavender, such as lavender essential oil. Mosquito Magician recommends placing the lavender essential oil on a clean cloth and rubbing it on your skin.
Another recommendation for using essential oils on your skin to help prevent mosquito bites comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The recommendation is to use lemon eucalyptus oil.
Mosquito Repellents With DEET
If you want to eliminate mosquitoes using a product, you can choose from options like Off and Repel.
Mosquito Repellent With DEET Prevents Diseases
According to WebMD, the highest probability of contracting a disease in America after being bitten by a mosquito is for West Nile Virus. Mosquitoes also transmit other terrible diseases:
Zika Virus
Malaria
Chikungunya
Dengue Fever
LOOK: Can you tell the difference between these common pets?
Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz
