[This blog post](http://talkfast.org/2011/01/10/ssh-host-color) provides a script to solve this problem.


    #!/bin/bash
    #
    # ssh into a machine and automatically set the background
    # color of Mac OS X Terminal depending on the hostname.
    #
    # Installation:
    # 1. Save this script to /some/bin/ssh-host-color
    # 2. chmod 755 /some/bin/ssh-host-color
    # 3. alias ssh=/some/bin/ssh-host-color
    # 4. Configure your host colors below.
    
    set_term_bgcolor() {
       local R=$1
       local G=$2
       local B=$3
       /usr/bin/osascript <<EOF
    tell application "Terminal"
       tell window 0
          set the background color to {$(($R*65535/255)), $(($G*65535/255)), $(($B*65535/255))}
       end tell
    end tell
    EOF
    }
    
    # Host-specific background colors.
    if [[ "$@" =~ production1.com ]]; then
       set_term_bgcolor 127 0 0
    elif [[ "$@" =~ production2.com ]]; then
       set_term_bgcolor 0 127 0
    fi
    
    ssh $@
    
    # Default background color.
    set_term_bgcolor 34 79 188