Can Skrillex Songs Be Used as Insect Repellent?02.04.2019

In a recent series of tests, scientists have been experimenting with using loud music to control or modify mosquito behavior. The genre they have been using? Dubstep, naturally.

The research team split the insects into two groups: one was subjected to replays of Skrillex’s Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites, whereas the other was isolated from all sound. As it turned out, the group exposed to dubstep was much more involved in reproduction and were much slower to seek sustenance (they moved to attack only 2-3 minutes after the music stopped). Furthermore, they also sucked much less blood than the control group. 
The scientists suspect that the change in behavior is the result of the vibration-heavy music, which disrupts the mosquitos perception and disorient them. Because of the music, they are also unable to synchronize the sound their wings make with the sounds of a potential partner, further disrupting their mating patterns.  

Published in the Acta Tropica journal, the findings can carry significant implications for stopping the spread of mosquito-carried diseases, such as the Zika virus or dengue fever. Although it’s hard to cast aside skepticism, when the study only involved a single track, but the research team contends that Skrillex’s music was the perfect fit, and was chosen for the broad variety of sounds it employs and its constantly shifting scales. 

Otrzymane wyniki potwierdzają jednak wcześniejsze wnioski z badań przeprowadzonych przez zespół biologów z Uniwersytetu Mississippi. Skupiono się w nich na udowodnieniu negatywnego wpływu wytworzonych przez ludzi infradźwięków na funkcjonowanie środowiska naturalnego. Badanie przeprowadzono na chrząszczach, mszycach i roślinach soi, które spowolniły swoje procesy życiowe przy akompaniamencie utworów zespołu AC/DC.a

The results of the study seem to corroborate the findings of the research from the University of Mississippi, which focused on the negative impact of human-made infrasounds  may have on the environment—in this case beetles, aphids, and soybeans, which the researchers exposed to a bevy of AC/DC tracks.