How Can Mosquitoes Turn Invisible?

Wouter

Getting rid of mosquitoes can be achieved by two simple steps. First, you can treat places where mosquitoes breed. Second, you can apply a repellent that will make mosquitoes stay away.

The USDA’s Mosquito and Fly Research Unit has been working on repellents for decades. Ulrich Bernier, a chemist at the USDA’s center, is researching a new strategy to fight mosquitoes. He’s looking for substances that disrupt the mosquitoes’ sense of smell. He says that by eliminating organic cues, such as odors and humidity, he can help keep the mosquitoes from carrying diseases.

One chemical that has been found to effectively block mosquitoes’ sense of smell is 1-methylpiperzine. Another is lactic acid. These substances are present in large amounts in sweat. If the chemicals are applied to the skin, they can render the wearer invisible to the mosquitoes.

Using a wind tunnel, researchers tested the theory that female mosquitoes only target people when a odor or visual cue is detected. The researchers used a dark object in the wind tunnel as the visual cue and exhaled carbon dioxide into the air. Then, they added a high concentration of CO2 to the wind tunnel to mimic the exhaled breath of a person.

During the tests, researchers also eliminated two proteins from test subjects’ bodies. This allowed them to observe how the mosquitoes would seek out their host if the proteins were removed. The results showed that the mosquitoes could still detect the presence of dark objects.

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