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Mosquito-Blocking Repellant? Researchers Say Solution is NearBy employing smells derived from plants, butter, and beer, the university says it can prevent the insects from finding people by creating a scent blanket around an area.Researchers at the University of California - Riverside say they may have found a better way to keep mosquitoes at bay. Dr. Anandasankar Ray, a molecular biologist at the school's Department of Entomology says his team discovered three separate odors that block the insect’s sense of smell.
Mosquitoes use their noses to track animals, including humans.
By employing smells derived from plants, butter, and beer, the university says it can prevent the insects from finding people by creating a scent blanket around an area.
The implications of the discovery, detailed in the June edition of the journal "Nature" are enormous.
Preventing the bug's bite could prove to be one of the greatest medical discoveries of the modern age.
More than one million people die each year from mosquito-borne diseases including, yellow fever, malaria, and West Nile virus.
While the school is working with an American company to commercialize its find, Dr. Ray says it will still be a while before you could find the new repellant on store shelves because it needs to be tested for safety.
Dr. Ray also says the current form of the repellant, while very effective, is also fairly foul smelling to most people.
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dharbor said on Monday, Jun 6 at 6:01 AM
I believe citronella % lemon grass are the same thing.Maybe making a tea from lemon grass & applying or drinking may help.I saw a film where an early exploring team was cooking using onions and discarding the peels & the native people in S.America used the peels as a repellent.
68457244ak adv said on Sunday, Jun 5 at 11:40 AM
try a Mosquito magnet
68426971alaskanight34 said on Saturday, Jun 4 at 5:53 PM
Well I lived in Illinois, Wyoming and bugs are bad for repellents, I say if want to test a theory come to south east Alaska and welcome the the no seeums and white socks. Give me a call let’s see sure they are of the repellent
68396644bruce smith said on Saturday, Jun 4 at 5:19 PM
all you have to do, and it WORKS, put a sheet of fabric softner in you pocket or somewhere on your person. A heck of lot cheaper
68395357gemoney said on Saturday, Jun 4 at 9:13 AM
just use listerine mist around doors or on clothes pests gone for days
68379407geemoney said on Saturday, Jun 4 at 7:50 AM
mist with listerine keeps the pest away and no deet!
68376369sourdoh said on Saturday, Jun 4 at 4:03 AM
and what is wrong with using netting over your face and clothing? it keep the no seeums and skeeters off just fine, plus no DDT pr deet contamination on your skin.
68367124Hey Tricia said on Saturday, Jun 4 at 12:13 AM
Read the directions on the bottle. Your not suppose to put it on your skin.
68335481Traci Adams said on Friday, Jun 3 at 11:54 PM
i cant wait for this to come out. alaskan mosquitos are brutal. they eat me alive every summer, and sprays, and candles, and bug zappers dont really seem to help.
68335119Jeannette said on Friday, Jun 3 at 11:07 PM
I just don't like the idea of putting Deet on my 18 month old. He's going to end up touching his arms and legs and then his mouth at some point.
68321779Tricia Hardt said on Friday, Jun 3 at 9:53 PM
The smell of the repelants on the market now smell foul and they damage skin. It can't be all bad. We in Alaska will be so happy, no matter what the smell!
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