Garlic May Stop Mosquitoes and Fruit Flies From Mating, and Could Inspire New Pest Controls

What do mosquitoes and vampires have in common? Leaving aside their blood-sucking tendencies, the pair share a strong aversion to garlic.What do mosquitoes and vampires have in common? Leaving aside their blood-sucking tendencies, the pair share a strong aversion to garlic.What do mosquitoes and vampires have in common? Leaving aside their blood-sucking tendencies, the pair share a strong aversion to garlic.

Researchers tested insects’ response to a selection of different fruit and vegetables, and discovered that the pungent allium may prevent mosquitoes (and various other winged insects) from mating. By blocking the mating process, the team hopes garlic can offer an eco-friendly and affordable form of pest control.

“The notion of using garlic to deter blood-feeding creatures was proposed in 1897 by Bram Stoker in his novel [Dracula],” John Carlson, professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at Yale University, said in a statement. “Maybe he was onto something.”

The paper has been published in the journal Cell.