What do scientists who study their behavior at the University of Washington say?
If you want to protect yourself from mosquitoes and the diseases they can transmit to you, pay attention to the clothes you wear. Some colors are real magnets for insects, while others repel them.
This is recommended by University of Washington scientists who follow insects to understand their eating behavior.
“They’re very small, they have small brains, but they’re really amazing and persistent in what they do to bite us,” he says. Dr. Jeffrey Riffell, Professor of Biology at a university studying their sensory systems.
Dr. Riffell and his colleagues focus on the travel routes of mosquitoes to find food. In this context, they note the differences in the behavior of men and women. Males feed mainly on flower nectar. Females need blood to support egg production.
If you think you’re a magnet for female mosquitoes, you probably are. Scientists say that insects prefer people with certain favorable characteristics.
“Everything has a role. The smell of our skin, our sweat, our breath, the carbon dioxide we emit. All of these are strong cues for mosquitoes,” says Dr. Riffell. “Our clothing, of course, is crucial.”
He explains that insects have an innate aversion to white and green. On the contrary, they are more attracted to red and even black. “They’re vampires and they’re very good at what they do,” the professor jokes. “Their eyes, vision, sense of smell—everything is well designed to see and sting us.”
Insects also learn a lot from their interactions with humans. If they find you attractive and bite you once, they might like you and come back! Accordingly, they may learn to avoid you. If e.g. try to kill them, they will stay away from you until a point.
The most dangerous animal in the world
Information like this can be extremely important in real life, Dr. Riffell. Mosquitoes is the most dangerous animal for humans. Every year they fight malaria, West Nile virus, Dengue etc.
More than 600,000 people die each year from malaria alone. The World Health Organization says. On the other hand, it is estimated that 249 million patients are affected by this disease every year.