New Pest Control

Fooling mosquitoes into thinking they're virgins could diminish bloodsucking and egg-laying. The idea arose because most female insects behavior changes after intercourse because of a peptide in the males’ seminal fluid.

Researchers have found the females’ receptor for this peptide. Fruit flies without the receptor lay much fewer eggs. As most female insects have this sort of receptor, deactivating it holds promise for disease control and crop protection.