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Associative learning turns DEET from aversive to appetitive in Aedes aegypti (journals.biologists.com)
gobdovan 5 hours ago [-]
In plain English, they made mosquitos like repellent.
Y-bar 5 hours ago [-]
Tldr: Repelln’t.
zeafoamrun 5 hours ago [-]
Could this already be happening out in the wild?
OutOfHere 4 hours ago [-]
I hope these mosquitoes were not released in the wild.

The simple answer would be to add a natural strongly repellent gentle oil to the DEET spray.

plmpsu 41 minutes ago [-]
Yeah, I would not be surprised if this learned behavior is passed on epigenetically. This is almost like gain of function research potentially.
Foobar8568 2 hours ago [-]
A couple years back, I spray some DEET on my shoes, 5 seconds later, a tiger mosquito tried to bite me on that spot (and yes on the shoe itself, just insane to see it trying ).

They already loved that shit.

AyyEye 3 hours ago [-]
At that point just skip the deet.
cbdevidal 3 hours ago [-]
Spray made from lemon eucalyptus works[1]. Not as well as DEET, but it works.

[1] https://www.consumerreports.org/health/insect-repellent/oil-...

trhway 5 hours ago [-]
that explains. I was always wondering why in Siberia (where i worked for 2 summers back then at university times) coming out from house with freshly applied DEET you're getting covered with mosquitos - i was attributing that to the especial ferociousness of the mosquitos there - yet it sounds like the smell of DEET for them in those towns may have become like a BBQ smell for us :)
HPsquared 3 hours ago [-]
A bit like how capsaicin was evolved to prevent things being eaten by mammals, but... Well.. humans came along and developed a taste for it.

"Evolution! Can you give me capsaicin, to deter mammals? I want birds to spread my seeds!"

https://youtu.be/1fW2uTRdUJU

tardedmeme 26 minutes ago [-]
They got the ultimate seed-spreading, since we farm them.
MiracleRabbit 4 hours ago [-]
Freshly marinated in DEET
raverbashing 2 hours ago [-]
So maybe the solution is to apply DEET to a bug zapper
aaron695 4 hours ago [-]
[dead]
lazide 5 hours ago [-]
[flagged]
danparsonson 4 hours ago [-]
It's OK, we still have picaridin
jameslk 4 hours ago [-]
Picaridin is the better choice as well. DEET is gross stuff that ruins many materials used for outdoor clothes and gear
lazide 4 hours ago [-]
I read the paper - if they can train them to like deet this way, picaridin will be child’s play.
OutOfHere 4 hours ago [-]
DEET should ruin things less if you stick to 35-40%. There is practically no benefit in going higher anyway. Those using 100% are asking for damage.

Picaridin gives me worsened tinnitus, so I can't use it unless maybe I slowly try to condition myself to it over a week. DEET doesn't.

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