4 Colors to Avoid Wearing in Boise Unless You Love Mosquitoes

Ah, summer in the Treasure Valley. It seems like the sun never goes down and we have countless hours to spend enjoying time outdoors. You love those long summer nights by the pool, at the lake, sipping wine on a patio by the Greenbelt…until the next morning when you wake up in a fit of itchiness. 

Mosquito bites are unpleasant at best. At worst? They could lead to West Nile Virus. According to the Ada County Mosquito Abatement District the first West Nile case in the county was reported in 2005. A year later there were 1,000 cases reported in Idaho, the most in the nation that year. The district’s job is to control the number of these blood sucking pests. (50 species call Ada County home.) 

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While they do their part, there’s something else you can do beyond lighting citronella candles and bathing in OFF to keep them away. According to a University of Washington study published earlier this year, the colors you wear may have something to do with how attracted mosquitoes are to you. In their study, it appeared the mosquitoes started gravitating toward or searching for certain colors after they smelled CO2 in the breath of a potential host. 

Unfortunately, red is one of the colors they LOVE and it’s found in everyone’s skin tone…so changing your wardrobe isn’t a full proof way to avoid getting bit, but it may help! Here’s a look at the colors mosquitoes LOVE and colors they don’t really care for.