Mosquitoes Can Learn to Ignore or Be Attracted to Repellents, Study Finds
A new study suggests that mosquitoes can be conditioned to ignore or even be attracted to insect repellents, learning to associate the scent with a blood meal. This finding indicates a potential challenge in the long-term effectiveness of current repellent strategies.
The Story
Analyzing sources…
Source Diversity
Source Diversity
High (67/100)Sources
Mosquitoes can become attracted to insect repellant, study suggests
The insect may learn to associate the chemical Deet with a ‘blood meal’, researchers say It is a spray used worldwide to protect humans from mosquito bites, but now research suggests Deet can become attractive to the insects if they associate it with feeding. Deet – which has the chemical name N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide – is widely used in insect repellants, with the UK Health Security Agency recommending products with 50% Deet as the first choice to protect against mosquito bites. Continue ...
By Nicola Davis Science correspondent
Read full article →Mosquitoes can learn to love common repellent, scientists find
The results were found "under very specific conditions" in the lab and do not "call into question the effectiveness" of the repellent DEET, the lead study author said.
Read full article →
