Mosquito Prevention?

[Tom Rankin]

Short version, Mosquitos love Red!

Unfortunately, as the article says [the study] "did not measure whether wearing colors like green [TFR: Why not Blue?] or purple would help stave off the critters."

https://news.yahoo.com/research-shows-color-could-help-014928262.html

 

[JoshandBaron]

Deer flies love blue.

 

[Mike P.]

That figures, I have many colors of T-shirts and just a few long sleeve base layers I wear, they are green, blue and red. The green has a high collar I don't like and the red fits best. Assuming Josh is right, looks like I wear the blue in May when mosquitoes are the main pest, (& black flies). I'll go with red in August on cooler days when the deer flies are in the mix too.

In showing my age....

Years ago, when wearing shorts and playing sports, high socks were in, even with colored stripes. When I joined my first co-ed volleyball league, one of the first things one of the women did was to push those high socks down to our ankles and admonished us for not leaving the 70's. Fast forward to being a dad and scout leader and chuckling when they would have high sock Tuesdays at Scout camp. As far as mosquitoes go, having your thighs exposed wearing shorts makes those high socks useless.

However, this year on the Allagash, my stylish short socks paired with long pants in the evening didn't overlap enough and those pesky insects were able to find the top of my "stylish" but useless socks. In the evening, it's always "high sock" Tuesday from now on. Leaving the "Fashion Police" back home when traveling to the backcountry.

 

[Hillwalker]

Black flies (Buffalo flies) love dark colors, especially black. In my 82 years experience living here in NH and ME I have found that white doesn't seem to attract them as much as black. Come spring, give it a try.

 

[peakbagger]

There is a lot to be said to wear the stereotypical prison uniform of black and white stripes for deer fly prevention.

https://www.science.org/content/art...iting-flies-causing-them-abort-their-landings

 

[Nessmuk]

i tried this experiment at the height of BF season one spring day. I put a navy blue jacket on the ground next to a bright yellow jacket made of similar material. Within a very short time, nearly every square inch of the blue jacket was coated with hungry black flies, while the yellow one had nary a single one nearby. lesson learned, I never go out during BF season wearing dark colors, especially on the blue shade.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f389hIxZAOc

 

[Hillwalker]

Here's a nutty thought: Early Black fly season often coincides with areas of lingering snowpack. Maybe they avoid that, telling each other. "no blood there" in that cold white stuff.