Okay to wear white before Memorial Day?

Can anyone share insights on the subtle nature of attracting pest insects, or actually not attracting them? Specifically biting, blood sucking ones. I hope this can be discussed outside the cider press even though it is partially about poly ticks.

A quick web search turns up articles that mention very one dimensional aspects of colour for attracting or repelling bugs. I gave up after one that started lecturing about how mosquitoes don't actually like or dislike things, blah blah blah.

It seems white is optimal as it allows the little suckers to be seen easily and everyone seems to agree it is most likely to be ignored (not disliked!) by mosquitoes, but I'm not in the New England fashion scene and am not going to replace my entire wardrobe. My backup REI camping shirt is a very light blue, and although blue was mentioned as one of the colours mosquitoes seek out (but don't love, they're mosquitoes dammit!), I'm wondering if it is more a matter of hue, shading, tint, saturation, etc. than a nominal colour?

I often wear bright yellow clothing. It attracts bees and wasps.

More years ago than I care to remember, it was sports day at my son's junior (age 7 to 11) school. He wanted to wear a yellow t shirt. The pollen beetles "loved" it and he was covered in them. I spent hours that afternoon explaining to other people that no, it was nothing to do with the soap powder I'd used but just down to the colour and why did they think so many flowers are yellow? I'm not sure I convinced anyone.

Joseph Lofthouse wrote:I often wear bright yellow clothing. It attracts bees and wasps.

Do the little guys ever seem disheartened to find themselves in a parking lot around a bunch of cut flowers?

Coydon Wallham wrote: I hope this can be discussed outside the cider press even though it is partially about poly ticks

Too bad they're not attracted by bad puns..... (i know i personally cannot resist)

You might find this article useful. Thanks for giving me a mini-rabbit-hole distraction during my workday!!
https://www.washington.edu/news/2022/02/04/mosquitoes-red/

(seems like they like darker colors and red, but most especially when combined with a scent stimulus).
(I also like the idea that bugs are allowed to have preferences)

Tereza Okava wrote:Too bad they're not attracted by bad puns.....

Hey, I'm just here for the Tiny Ads...

Tereza Okava wrote:You might find this article useful. Thanks for giving me a mini-rabbit-hole distraction during my workday!!
https://www.washington.edu/news/2022/02/04/mosquitoes-red/

Weird, the article states they ignore blue and green, but will seek out cyan. Looking it up, cyan is defined as a combination of both blue and green.

That REI camping shirt doesn't look like it has any green in it, but looking at pictures of cyan things I can barely tell the difference. Seems to beg the question here, are mosquitoes really _that_ discerning?

Thinking more about that article, two notions have taken hold in my head.

First, the fact that the research doesn't mention any of the complexities of the visual spectrum like tint or hue is a sign of the kind of quality of research and scientific journalism I've noticed becoming more common on the internet, even from accredited universities like this. Anecdotally, today I noticed the mosquitoes landing all over my dark green pants while almost none were bothering with the light blue shirt, or the skin exposed unbuttoned at the front. The dyed yellow leather gloves saw a bit of action from them. Of course, other variables would have to be accounted for to draw a reliable conclusion, but it fits the previous generalization I saw of darker colours being more attractive to them.

The other point to note is that the colours the mosquitoes responded to were all associated with human skin- red, orange, black...

... and cyan. This is clearly ample evidence that mosquitoes retain their genetic heritage all the way back to when the blue-green skinned Atlanteans still walked the surface of the earth.

HA! Finally a permies thread thread that didn't suck me in for an hour of reading when I should be working.

I stick to the old, terrible technique of spraying my body with chemicals.  I have zero self control when it comes to scratching itchy bites.  In addition  I'm a tick magnet.

Any scolding will for chemical use be received with humility.  Any suggestions for alternatives will be warmly welcomed.

Now, everybody!  Get outside! Carpe diem!  
I'm going out to feel the wind in my alopecia-thinned hair.