IF YOU CAN’T KILL ‘EM, AT LEAST SCARE ‘EM: Swatting at Mosquitoes May Help You Avoid Bites, Even if You Miss. “Remembering the smell of a particularly defensive individual with a propensity to swat is important for a bug’s survival. One good smack to a mosquito stuck biting, and splat. Knowing who smells like a splat-maker means mosquitoes can seek out potentially less risky hosts instead. Dr. Riffell thinks learning about odors helps drives these decisions.”