Do mosquito repellent sprays work on all insects? I would like to know the mode of action of mosquito repellent aerosols. Are these specific to mosquito or are other insects affected too?

The most common active ingredient in insect repellents is _N_ , _N_ -diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (other name: _N_ , _N_ -diethyl- _m_ -toluamide; abbreviated DEET). It provides protection against mosquitoes and many other insects. After various interesting hypotheses, it is currently assumed that mosquitoes simply smell DEET directly and avoid it.[[1]](