Study finds mosquitoes associate DEET smell with blood and sugar
Turns out, mosquitoes are getting smarter about DEET, the widely used bug repellent most people use.
Scientists found that after repeated exposure, mosquitoes start linking the smell of DEET with rewards like blood or sugar.
Instead of avoiding it, they actually get drawn to it, which could make DEET less effective over time.
Conditioned yellow fever mosquitoes attempted feeding
The research focused on yellow fever mosquitoes, the ones that spread diseases like dengue and Zika.
After four conditioning rounds, more than 60% of these mosquitoes attempted to feed when exposed only to DEET odor.
Trained mosquitoes even approached hands sprayed with DEET at standard concentrations, while untrained ones kept their distance.
Researchers urge integrated mosquito control
This learning behavior means relying only on repellents might not be enough in the future.
Researchers suggest mixing repellents with other strategies (like removing breeding spots and wearing protective clothes) to stay ahead of these clever bugs.