Researchers have discovered that mosquitoes can learn to associate DEET with a rewarding blood meal, effectively turning the chemical into an attractant. This finding arrives against a backdrop of an estimated 110 trillion mosquitoes worldwide, vectors of various diseases. DEET works by jamming insects' smell detectors, but its protective effect fades as the scent diminishes. In laboratory trials, mosquitoes were trained to associate DEET with a meal, and over 60% returned to the mesh even when no blood was present. Read more...
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