Want mosquitoes to leave you alone in New Jersey? Don’t wear these 4 colors
Warm weather is here, you're out working on your garden, the barbeque is ready to cook burgers and hot dogs to perfection, and you are ready to enjoy summertime in New Jersey.
That is until the !%@$#%$! mosquitoes start flying around.
Sure, you've tried bug spray, you've scattered half a dozen citronella candles around your patio (do they actually do anything?), you've invested in a huge bug light that would make Tim "The Toolman" Taylor proud — but those pesky bugs seem to always find you.
So what can you do?
Researchers say you can avoid having mosquitoes targeting you by not wearing four specific colors.
More Than Just a Bug Bite
First, keep in mind that mosquitoes aren't innocent little pests that'll just give you an itchy bug bite.
Here are just some of the diseases that can be transmitted by these bugs:
- West Nile Virus
- La Crosse Encephalitis
- Jamestown Canyon Virus
- Western Equine Encephalitis
- St. Louis Encephalitis
- Eastern Equine Encephalitis
- Chikungunya Virus
- Dengue Fever
- Malaria
- Yellow Fever
- Zika Virus
Mosquitoes Hate These Four Colors
According to research conducted at the University of Washington, a common mosquito species flew toward these four specific colors:
- Red
- Orange
- Black
- Cyan
Mosquitoes were found to ignore other colors, like purple, green, white, and blue.
Your Skin is a Magnet to a Mosquito
Researchers believe these findings help explain how mosquitoes find victims since skin, regardless of overall pigmentation, emits a strong red-orange look to their eyes.
In other words, your glowing skin is like a giant neon sign for mosquitoes that says "Bite me."
The Worst Possible Advice to Give to Someone Who is New to New Jersey
Gallery Credit: Chris Coleman
These Old, Neglected Stores in New Jersey Look Like a Zombie Apocalypse
Gallery Credit: Chris Coleman