Mosquito season is upon us, but Canadians may one day play some electronic music instead of using insect repellent sprays and lotions.
In a new study, researchers placed the mosquito that causes yellow fever to the music of US DJ Skrillex - specifically the track Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites, which they chose because it had a particularly mix of high and low frequencies. .
Researchers found that music had a significant impact on mosquito populations in several ways.
First, mosquitoes exposed to the music sucked blood nearly four times more slowly than mosquitoes not treated with Skrillex, and their feeding activity was also lower.
Second, Skrillex's tracks clearly didn't "excit" the mosquitoes: in fact, those who listened to electronic music mated far less often than those in a quiet environment.
For the study, researchers used the mosquito Aedes aegypti , the insect most closely related to dengue fever. It is also associated with Zika virus, yellow fever, and other diseases, and lives in tropical or subtropical areas (not in Canada).
While the study may seem like a fun party trick, its goal is much more serious: Despite advances in control technology, disease-carrying Aedes mosquitoes continue to cause serious health problems around the world.
According to the study, an electronic song titled "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" reduces host attack and mating success in the dengue vector Aedes aegypti.
Insecticides have historically been the mainstay of combating mosquito populations, but many have lost their effectiveness in recent years. Additionally, they can be harmful to other insects, plants, and animals.
As a result, many are calling for greener strategies.
Previous research has shown that dengue mosquitoes rely on sound to communicate and "speak" through sound. interactions with members of the opposite sex, so the study authors wanted to examine whether interrupting these interactions would have an impact.
The presence of sound vibrations and continuous tones may cause stress and fear, causing insects to become immobile, research explains.
The study concluded that music is clearly harmful to dengue mosquitoes. Feeding and reproductive activities.
Therefore, electronic music can act both as an anti-mosquito attack factor and as a mating disruptor. These characteristics demonstrate the potential for developing music-based mosquito vector control strategies, the study concluded.
Since music is enjoyed by many people, developing music-based mosquito control measures could be an attractive alternative to strategies that use harmful chemical pesticides.
