Your Insect Repellent Might Attract Mosquitoes That Learn to Associate It With Food

A University of Tours study suggests mosquitoes can learn to link DEET with a blood meal.

Mosquitoes exposed to DEET while feeding later showed a stronger biting response in tests.

The finding points to classical conditioning, not just a simple repellent effect, in mosquito behavior.

Because DEET is the most widely used mosquito repellent, the result could help explain gaps in how it works and expose a possible weakness in a major disease-prevention tool.