Four Colors to Avoid Wearing in MT Unless You Love Mosquitos

Mosquitos, oh how we hate thee.

Depending on where you live in Montana, you either have mosquitos already, OR they are just days away from seemingly springing out of nowhere and ruining your outdoor experience until October. I live near Billings and so far this spring (as of 5/20/24), I can sit outside on my deck all night without a single mosquito bite.

Not for long, however.

By mid-spring, mosquito-free days we've enjoyed will change at a moment's notice, depending on how cool, wet, dry, and hot, Montana behaves for the rest of the spring.

Mosquitos are nasty, but there are a few things you can do.

Thankfully, mosquito bites are rarely fatal in the United States. They are vile little bugs that can carry all kinds of gross diseases like Zika virus, West Nile virus, Chikungunya virus, dengue, and malaria, according to the CDC.

Folks in Alaska and Minnesota like to brag about the size of their mosquitoes (odd flex?), but the little biting bastards are no slouches in Montana either. I've tried many of the more natural tricks to help keep them out of our patio/yard/space, usually with lackluster success.

I've done the little smoke coil things; mosquitos seem to scoff.

We've tried the citronella candles, the tiki torches, the sonic devices, and the biting little pests couldn't care less. The latest mosquito "hack" in my social media feed recommends burning dried coffee grounds in a clay pot on your deck because mosquitos allegedly hate the smell of burning coffee (aka Starbucks). Count me skeptical, but I'll give it a shot.

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In my experience, the only thing that works well to prevent mosquito bites in Montana is hard-core DEET products. Developed by the US Government in 1946, N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide works by masking our smell from mosquitos. If they can't smell us, they can't suck our blood.

It's all about the smell... and the color.

According to a study by the University of Washington, color impacts how much mosquitos like to attack us. Mosquitos first zone in on the scent of CO2, emitted from the breath of creatures with blood.

Next, their eyes hone in on the color of whatever is emitting a red-orange color. Human skin looks red/orange to mosquitos, per the research. "Bingo!", the mosquito thinks, as it promptly lands on your skin and sticks its filthy needle into your body.

So what colors should you avoid?

I don't love dousing my skin in DEET if there are other options, for a variety of health concerns, so if wearing a certain colored t-shirt can help lessen mosquito bites, why not give it a try? According to the research, these colors attract mosquitos the most. (Photos by Canva)

Mosquitos love red. Avoid at all costs.

Unless you're hunting, avoid wearing orange.

Those bloodsuckers seem to love Cyan too.

Bad news for Johnny Cash and AC/DC fans... mosquitos love black too. Bummer. 

So... what colors do mosquitos seem to prefer LESS? Research indicates they aren't as attracted to GREEN, WHITE, BLUE, and PURPLE.

H/T Travis Sams at WKDQ