Diffuser That Smells Like Fear Can Repel Pests Off Garden Plants

Savvy Gardening

Gardeners and plants enthusiasts oftentimes worry about the plants they care for. While these caregivers lovingly tend to the life that’s growing abundantly, pests can attack at any time. While pesticides are readily available in the market, many are toxic enough to destroy the delicate balance of nature.

Researchers have been searching for ways to establish the perfect balance between plants and the tiny animals that live in them. They may have found the perfect solution, one that plant lovers will surely appreciate. After all, it’s all about respecting every living thing in nature while making sure that the greens thrive.

How did the researchers come up with a perfect solution? It came in the form of a diffuser that they said, “smells like fear.” This may help keep pests off garden plants for good. This statement was made in a new study.


As for the special odor itself, it is made up of compounds that are produced by ladybugs. This is a natural predator of plant-eating insects that have been known to ravage and destroy gardens and crops. Pests that catch a whiff of it will change their behavior. That’s because they’re led to believe that predators are nearby.

In reality, plant-eating insects comprise the major threat for crops all over. They are deemed dangerous because many of them can carry diseases. In the past years, they have become more and more resistant to the traditional pesticides available in the market.

Researchers that hail from Pennsylvania State University have come up with a sweet-smelling solution that’s safe for humans but deadly for pests. Study author Dr Sara Hermann shared, “It is not uncommon to use our senses to avoid risky situations. If a building was on fire, we as humans could use our senses of sight or smell to detect the threat. There is evidence for such behavioral responses to risk across taxa that suggest prey organisms can detect predation threats, but the mechanisms for detection aren’t very well understood, especially with insects.”

Aphids are particularly highly destructive. They can transmit plant diseases and they have become such a persistent problem for growers, farmers, planters, and gardeners. Fortunately, they are also the favorite food of ladybugs. These plant experts welcome the red and black insect because they are a natural form of pest-control. Once a ladybug is nearby, aphids and other plant-eating insects will stay away from fields. They simply smell the predators there. The researchers have discovered this helpful fact. That’s because the scent that is given off by ladybugs are a signal to aphids to stop reproducing as much and grow larger wings. These two behaviors are able to stave off threats altogether.

What the research team did is identify and extract the ladybugs’ “volatile odor.” They made use of gas chromatography, which is a technique that separates the different components of smell. Then, these aphids were exposed to each component individually. They wanted to see which one elicited the biggest reaction from these predators. The strength of their response was then based on the signal that was picked up by an electroantennogram machine. The said machine was specifically designed to test insects’ reactions to the different kinds of odors.


Of the several compounds that come from ladybugs, the strongest response was to a class of chemical compounds that were otherwise called methoxypyrazines. These particularly included compounds such as isopropyl methoxypyrazine, isobutyl methoxypyrazine, and sec-butyl methoxypyrazine.

A special odor blend that the scientists came up with can be placed in an essential oil diffuser. This allows the gadget to spread the scent slowly across a garden or field. According to a statement made by the researchers, they now hope to test out their diffusers outside. They will observe and see whether or not they are able to produce the same ideal results. They are further looking to measure the diffusers’ dispersal area. This is to see if the other pests and predators will be repelled to it. They will also look into the effects these have on crops.

Study co-author Dr Jessica Kansman said, “Insects rely on olfactory cues to find food, mates, and places to live, so this is a great opportunity to investigate how to use these smells to manipulate their behavior.”

 

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