A mosquito sitting on a leaf of a plant (Image credit: Shutterstock)

If you've spotted mosquitoes or suspect these bugs are the reason for your unsightly bites, it can be frustrating. This is especially the case if you enjoy spending time in your yard, and have tried every method going for getting rid of mosquitoes. However, when dealing with the main things that attract mosquitoes to your yard, you could be overlooking one surprising item.

According to lighting specialists, your bright yard lights could be attracting mosquitoes -- depending on the color temperature. "As evenings get darker earlier, families may inadvertently attract mosquitoes when turning on garden lights and gathering around outdoor furniture," states Jon Saeed, managing director of Lighting Legends, "which can be a problem for households trying to make the most of the late summer evenings outdoors."

And if you have one of the best solar lights in your yard, and want to create a cozy, warm ambiance, this might also help to keep mosquitoes at bay. " Mosquitoes are more attracted to blue and white lights with a colour temperature above 3000K," says Saeed. "This is because these wavelengths are closer to what they use for orientation in the environment. Yellow or warm-coloured, garden lights with a color temperature between 2,200K and 2,700K are significantly less attractive to mosquitoes and biting bugs compared to cooler lights above 5,000K."

This is not because mosquitoes simply hate light, but due to the heat emitted from them. "Mosquitoes are attracted to garden lights for several reasons. Lights generate heat and mosquitoes can sense this warmth from a distance as they're drawn to warm bodies. Detecting heat makes mosquitoes believe there is a potential food source nearby. To minimize mosquitoes, use lighting solutions that emit less heat, such as LED lights."

Additionally, this can be linked to previous research that has discovered there are certain colors that can repel mosquitoes. The study carried out by scientists from the University of Washington, and published in Nature Communications, revealed that the mosquito sense of smell (olfaction), influences how it responds to visual cues/colors. In fact, results showed that mosquitoes were attracted to dark colors, such as navy/dark blue, red, orange and black.

Whereas, they kept far away from light colors such as beige, violet or blue. However, it was noted that this color preference only occurs in the presence of carbon dioxide (CO2), which we exhale when we breathe.

So, whether you're relaxing or hosting gatherings in your yard, you might want to change the color temperature of your lighting, for a comfortable evening!

In addition, you could try one of these 5 scents that repel mosquitoes and keep them out of your home. But if you have a larger infestation at hand, it's always best to contact the pest control company to investigate.