Hey Minnesotans: This Common Body Wash Might Be A Mosquito Attractant!

They don't call mosquito season "Minnesota's other season" for no reason. Those pesky bloodsucking insects can get downright vicious as the weather gets warm in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

Not only are they annoying, but they can cause disease - not just in tropical climates either. Bites from mosquitoes in Minnesota and Wisconsin can spread potentially deadly diseases and nasty illnesses like West Nile Virus and varieties of encephalitis. Not great.

The obvious ways to avoid bites include simply staying inside (which isn't ideal during the limited nice weather we get each year) or lathering on the bug spray. There are some other things you can do to make yourself less interesting to mosquitoes.

As it turns out, certain colors can attract mosquitoes while others tend to have a more repelling effect. In general, lighter colors are more repelling than darker colors. You can read more about that science, and specific colors to wear and avoid here.

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Scents also play a big role in how interested mosquitoes are in you. A study done last year reports that fruity or floral-smelling soaps can be more attractive to mosquitoes. The study looked at brands like Dial, Dove, Native, and Simple Truth.

One specific soap they didn't look at in the study, however, seems to have quite an attracting effect on mosquitoes. At least based on some experiences I've personally had.

After using this particular soap, it really felt like I was a mosquito magnet! And I'm not usually such a severe victim of mosquito bites.

READ MORE: Wearing these four colors can help keep mosquitoes away

Last summer, I spent some time out on a hike out on Duluth's Park Point. I happened to have showered using Irish Spring's body wash about an hour before hitting the trail. You know, the original green stuff. While on my hike, I quickly fell victim to being completely swarmed by mosquitoes!

I quickly had well over 20 bites and had to turn around and go home within a matter of minutes in the woods. I've never had an experience like that before!

In a subsequent outdoor experience after showering with the same soap, I did find myself once again falling victim to a mosquito swarm. It wasn't quite as intense as the one on Park Point, but it was still much more pronounced than other times I've been in this location.

While I wouldn't say Irish Spring has a "floral" scent to it, something about the smell of the stuff apparently really gets mosquitoes excited.

To be clear, I am not speaking poorly of Irish Spring. It's a legendary brand, and one of a handful I still use. I am just a little more careful about putting myself in mosquito situations after using it after my handful of experiences.