⚠️This fact has been debunked
Scientific research from the University of Washington (Nature Communications, 2022) found that mosquitoes typically IGNORE blue colors, along with green, purple, and white. The claim that mosquitoes are attracted to blue twice as much as other colors contradicts peer-reviewed research. Mosquitoes are actually attracted to red, orange, black, and cyan (after detecting CO2), not standard blue shades.
Mosquitoes are attracted to the color blue twice as much as any other color.
Do Mosquitoes Love Blue? The Color Myth Debunked
You might have heard that mosquitoes are attracted to the color blue twice as much as any other color. It sounds specific enough to be true, right? Wrong. This claim is actually backwards—mosquitoes typically ignore blue.
What the Science Actually Shows
A 2022 study published in Nature Communications by University of Washington researchers tested which colors attract yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti). After detecting carbon dioxide—the gas we exhale—mosquitoes flew toward red, orange, black, and cyan. They ignored green, purple, white, and most importantly, blue.
The one exception? Cyan, a specific shade between blue and green on the color spectrum. But standard blue? Mosquitoes couldn't care less.
The CO2 Connection
Here's the catch: color alone doesn't matter. Mosquitoes only started caring about colors after they detected carbon dioxide in the air. Without that chemical cue signaling a potential blood meal nearby, they showed no color preference at all.
Think of it like this: CO2 tells mosquitoes "food is near," and then they use their vision to zero in on specific colors that might indicate warm-blooded prey.
Why Red and Orange Win
Human skin, regardless of pigmentation or tone, reflects red-orange wavelengths to mosquito eyes. That's why these colors attract them so strongly—we literally glow red-orange in their visual world. Black also draws them in, possibly because dark colors:
- Create shadow-like patterns
- Absorb and retain more heat
- Help mosquitoes locate warm hosts using their heat-sensing antennae
What to Wear (and Avoid)
If you're trying to be less appealing to mosquitoes, skip the red, orange, and black clothing. Instead, opt for lighter colors that research shows mosquitoes ignore: white, green, purple, pale yellow, khaki, beige, or light gray.
And yes, you can safely wear blue—it's actually one of the better choices for avoiding mosquito attention, not one of the worst.
So where did this "mosquitoes love blue" myth come from? It's unclear, but it's a good reminder that not everything that sounds scientific actually is. When it comes to mosquitoes and color, blue is boring—and that's exactly what you want.