For example, some species may be attracted to human blood while others may feed only on the blood of wild or domestic animals. Since there are 4-6 dozen mosquitoes out of 2,700 worldwide that transmit diseases, it can be tricky to pinpoint an attractant, Barnard says. The potential also exists to use traps for reducing mosquito populations with minimal dependence on chemical insecticides. We expect attractant-enhanced traps to eventually surpass pesticides in effectiveness. One day we hope to develop systemic repellents that can be taken orally or devices that can be worn to neutralize the attractive effects of a person to a mosquito.
Animals also act as a magnet for mosquitoes.
We're looking at mosquitoes that bite both livestock and people because mosquitoes spread some viruses between the two.