Researchers at the University of Tours in France investigated how mosquitoes react to DEET, one of the most widely used active ingredients in mosquito repellents.
According to The Guardian, as cited by Forskning.se, the findings, published in the Journal of Experimental Biology, suggest that mosquitoes can learn from previous experiences.
In the laboratory, mosquitoes were exposed to both warm blood and DEET to determine whether this affected their behaviour later.
Mosquitoes changed their behaviour
The researchers found that 60 percent of the mosquitoes exposed to blood and DEET simultaneously later attempted to feed when exposed only to DEET.
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In the other experimental groups, the proportion ranged from 13 to 23 percent, the study found.
In a subsequent test, nearly 60 percent of the same mosquitoes approached a hand treated with DEET.
Mosquitoes that had not undergone the same conditioning preferred a hand without the repellent.
According to The Guardian, this suggests that previous experience can influence how mosquitoes respond.
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No reason to stop using repellent
The researchers believe the findings provide new insights into how mosquitoes respond to repellents.
They suggest that behaviour and experience may play a greater role than previously thought.
At the same time, the researchers stress that there is no reason to stop using mosquito repellent.
The altered behaviour was observed only under specific laboratory conditions designed to investigate how DEET affects mosquitoes.
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