Insect repellant with the powerful chemical DEET has been a mainstay of outdoorsmen and campers for 50 years. But until now, nobody really knew how it worked.
The authors of a new study have found that DEET blocks insects from "smelling" people by overwhelming their odor receptors. The insects’ sense of smell is blocked temporarily, and they can’t find their target.
(Source: National Geographic)
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