Science Seeks Deadly ‘Diet Pill’ for Insects

The discovery of a hormone that stops digestion in mosquitoes could result in a deadly “diet pill” for the insects, scientists say.

The hormone found within a mosquito’s ovaries is secreted after blood is digested in order to stop the production of digestive enzymes, said chemists Dov Borovsky of the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and David Carlson of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

When the hormone is injected into a mosquito immediately after a feeding, the hormone wreaks havoc on the pest’s digestive system, they learned.