UC Santa Barbara finds mosquitoes use infrared to track humans
NewsBytes | May 12, 2026 10:39 PM CST
Findings could improve mosquito traps
Female mosquitoes need blood to develop eggs and use a combination of signals (CO2, smell, and heat) to zero in on humans.
The researchers discovered special structures in their antennae that sense infrared heat.
When they tested it out, skin-temperature warmth (about 34 Celsius) made mosquitoes twice as interested, but only if there was also CO2 and odor around.
These insights could lead to better traps and smarter ways to stop diseases like dengue and Zika from spreading in places like California and Florida.
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