THE EFFECT OF DIETETIC AND GLYCEMIC FACTORS IN THE ATTRACTIVENESS OF WHITE RATS TO MOSQUITOES

Abstract

White rats on high carbohydrate, high protein and high fat diets showed increased attractiveness to mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti L., in the order mentioned. This preference for rats on certain diets was shown by mosquitoes only on simultaneous exposures of all diet groups and was not noticed when various diet groups were individually exposed or the mosquitoes had been starved previously. The increased or decreased blood sugar levels did not affect the attractiveness of the rats to the mosquitoes. It appeared that certain residual factors were emitted by rats which attracted mosquitoes to an appreciable extent for [Formula: see text] hour.