Study: Mosquitoes can learn to associate DEET with food, potentially reducing repellent effectiveness
By
Becca Owen, special to C&EN
A baker's-dozen of insight crammed into one ring.
Summary
A study reveals that mosquitoes can learn to associate DEET, a common insect repellent, with food sources, potentially making the chemical attractive rather than repulsive in warmer conditions. The Pavlovian-style experiment showed that after repeated exposure, mosquitoes developed a learned preference for DEET-scented surfaces when paired with a food reward. This challenges the long-held assumption that DEET is universally repellent and raises concerns about its effectiveness as climate change expands mosquito habitats and disease transmission.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledDEET, or the chemical N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide, is considered the most effective tool to deter insects.
A Pavlovian experiment shows how the insects can learn to associate the repellent with food
The findings challenge the conventional wisdom that DEET is an inherently repellent substance that mosquitoes will always avoid.
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