Partial blood meal, carbohydrate availability, and bloodfeeding-postponement effects on human host avidity and deet...

Host avidity and deet repellency were measured in partially bloodfed Aedes albopictus provided 10% sucrose, water, or nothing when access to a human host was postponed for 1 to 72 h after a partial blood meal. Carbohydrate availability and postfeeding time influenced host avidity, but partial blood meal effects were not significant. Mean host avidity declined significantly between hours 1 and 6 (range 50-18%) but increased significantly between hours 24 (54%) and 72 (68%) after a partial blood meal. Females provided sucrose solution and females denied sucrose or water showed the least (29%) and most (39%) host avidity, regardless of other treatment effects. The longest and shortest deet protection times were 8.5 h against females provided sucrose and 7.3 h against females denied sucrose or water, respectively. Denial of carbohydrate sustenance significantly increased host avidity and deet repellency in partially bloodfed female Ae. albopictus, whereas sucrose availability led to reduced host responding activity and decreased repellency of deet.