Skrillex songs could protect you from pesky mosquitoes this summer
Scientists discover that Skrillex might work better at repelling mosquitoes than bug spray does.
- She received the Renau Writing Scholarship in 2016 from the University of Louisville's communication department.
The time of mosquitoes is getting closer.
Mosquitoes are the bane of my existence in the summer months. I can be outside for five minutes and find 10 bites when I come back inside. Not only are mosquito bites irritating, they're also potentially dangerous. One bloodsucking pest could be carrying dengue fever or the West Nile or Zika viruses.
Scientists might've found the answer in perhaps the most unlikely of places. A study published Thursday in Acta Tropica found that playing dubstep music, particularly Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites by Skrillex, reduced mosquito attacks.
"In this study, we examined the effects of electronic music on foraging, host attack and sexual activities of the dengue vector Aedes aegypti," the study said.
The Aedes aegypti, otherwise known as the yellow fever mosquito, was studied with and without dubstep playing. When Skrillex was playing, the female mosquitoes bit less than when the music was off.
"The observation that such music can delay host attack, reduce blood feeding and disrupt mating provides new avenues for the development of music-based personal protective and control measures against Aedes-borne diseases," the study said. According to the team, sound is "crucial" for reproduction, survival and population maintenance for many animals.
If sales of Skrillex records suddenly spike, we'll know why. If anything, you know what radio station to tune in to on your phone during your next barbecue.
