Among the research to be presented at this week's Fourth Multilateral Initiative on Malaria Conference (MIM), is a mosquito repellent based on the properties of indigenous African plants.

Oils were extracted from 150 East African plants thought to repel malaria-infected mosquitos and 20 proved to be effective. The oils were then formulated into Mozigone – a mosquito-repelling cream that seems to be more powerful than DEET and less expensive to manufacture.

Just one question for all you intelligent design advocates; what brainiac gave us the mosquito?

OK, so it’s kind of funny that I, the food editor, am being eaten alive by a mosquito. But I’m not laughing; I’m about to collapse from exhaustion after nearly a week of being woken up every night by the telltale buzz of this voracious little vampire who’s left bites all over my body, undeterred by Eau de Deet (that’s how desperate I am to get some sleep.)

Once awakened, I scratch my arms in a sleepy stupor and wonder how one little creature could cause so much havoc. Also, it’s December; why hasn’t the cold weather killed all the mosquitoes by now?