Heating deltamethrin may help it kill pesticide-resistant mosquitoes

The insecticide is used to control pests that spread life-threatening diseases like malaria

Anopheles mosquito

A new, more potent form of the common insecticide deltamethrin could be better at killing malaria-transmitting Anopheles mosquitoes (one pictured in this colored scanning electron micrograph) than the ordinary insecticide.

Dennis Kunkel Microscopy/Science Source

A few minutes in the microwave made a common insecticide about 10 times more lethal to mosquitoes in lab experiments.