>>165904According to the latest viable research, that's how DEET works, it floods their receptors, and they smell nothing but DEET. Here's one of the studies supporting this theory:
https://www.sciencemag.org/content/319/5871/1838.abstractYes, a low dose of DEET will attract anthropods, hence why it has to have a >30% concentration to be effective. Here's another nice study about that:
http://www.homs.com/RepellentReviewPBP.pdfAnd citronella and lavender do work. There are countless sources I could give you, starting with my own experience. I've been using pretty much nothing but lavender and citronella oil for years, and I've only used some permethrin in areas with Dengue fever and malaria.
I caught tick-borne encephalitis years ago, and I still haven't got rid of it. It pretty much ruined my entire life, so believe me, I've since spent some time learning more about those fuckers, and know how to keep them at bay.