Posted on 08/29/2010 3:35:26 AM PDT by Cardhu
He said: "We know that many mosquito species chemically detect and avoid pools containing specific predators.
"As prey, they have evolved the ability to detect these cues or risk of predation. It has been a bumper British summer for mosquitos, with warm, wet weather providing the creatures with perfect breeding conditions.
And experts say the increasing popularity of water butts in gardens has added to their numbers by provide additional hatching grounds.
But protection from the biting insects could be at hand after researchers discovered a new way of repelling them – by pretending to be one of their predators.
Scientists have found that an aquatic insect known as a backswimmer, which is similar a water boatman, releases a "scent" that scares off mosquitoes – although it cannot be picked up by the human nose.
Backswimmers prey on the larvae of the biting insects, and so female mosquitoes have developed a tendency to avoid areas where they detect chemicals given off by the predators.
The researchers now hope to use their findings to develop new repellents.
It is hoped that unlike other repellents, which require to be used all over the body and can damage clothing, smaller amounts of repellents based on chemicals released by backswimmers could keep mosquitoes at bay.
Professor Leon Blaustein, a ecologist at the University of Haifa, Israel, whose team have been researching the repellent, said applying the chemicals to sites where mosquitos breed could help to control their numbers.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Which is why I scream "B!tch" every time I slap one.
LOL
I have found that brewers yeast, if you can find the real thing, grown on grain from the brewery, will serve as a skeeter repellant, plus any other benefits from the vitamins. At least it works for me.
Also it works as a flea repellant for your dog.
Many tears ago Scientific American had an article on this flea thing, which is where I heard of it. I tried it for skeeters, and it seemed to work.
barbra ann
Water butt can be avoided by staying away from cheap beer.
Nothing like you own tried and true remedy - probably because females do not like beer and the males do not bother us. :)
Brewer’s yeast - do you eat it or spread it on?
I wonder if it works against government hand out types who seek to suck our blood and never work..maybe a large zeppelin
in the shape of the back swimmer spewing brewers yeast, would make the zombies wake up and say, I need a job..
I also heard if you are willing to smell that Florida Indians would smear terpentine mangos on their bodies to ward off the swamp bugs..
“Mosquitoes... drink blood”
I’m pretty sure that Mosquito is Spanish for “Little Mosque.” ;^D
I have 4 water gardens, but mosquitoes are not a problem if you keep the water moving. Plus fish and frogs eat bugs.
I think you should probably consume brewer’s yeast orally, in a suspension ;^D
No thanks. I'll swat the mosquitoes. Easier to deal with than the trout and other fish Backswimmers draw.
I also have a water garden and have never had a problem with mosquitoes. I have a waterfall, lots of fish and frogs. We have mosquitoes from other places, like the stagnant farm pond on the farm next to us, but they don’t bite me for some reason. They attack my husband without mercy and I’m never bitten. Weird.
I think I’ll flap around the garden like a mosquito crane and see how l:)ong it takes the neighbors to call 911
“Mosquitoes usually feed upon nectar, but the females drink blood to provide extra supplements for their eggs when they are preparing to lay”
So mosquitoes are ‘deadbeat’ DemonRATS? Just saying. ;-)
Vitamin B1 seems to work pretty well, too.
I had not heard of the brewer’s yeast but I’ll look into that.
Butt Water Helps Protect Our Natural Resources
http://www.gearfuse.com/butt-water-helps-protect-our-natural-resources/
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