Mosquitoes are not just blood sucking beasts but flower loving doves. They rely on plant nectar to survive. Researchers have produced a sweet smelling potion called Vectrax that contains lethal doses of insecticide that is so seductive that mosquitoes will feed on it almost exclusively and die. Conventional chemical insecticides blanket spray areas where mosquitoes are present, which exposes everyone, including pets, to possibly damaging composites, killing pollinating insects as well. These sprays also contaminate soils and streams, and help increase pesticide resistance. The new product, Vectrax, contains sugars and proteins that copycat dozens of common chemical indicators that entice mosquitoes to nectar-producing flowers scents and induce them to feed. A combination of this mixture with pyrethroids produces a very effective mosquito slayer. Vectrax is a slow-release formula used indoors or outdoors. Researchers have conducted field tests where mosquito populations fell 65 per cent in two weeks. It is hoped that Vectrax will help to eliminate malaria, Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases.
