My recommendation is for the addition of a rudimentary chemistry set for crafting more advanced formulas as well as formulas that may already exist.

 

In the process I believe the addition of totems should exist in the game.  Using the chemical formulas you craft and applying them to a totem you should be able to use the totems to either increase or decrease insects in the immediate environment.  You could create different totems for different insects with a unique visual representation designed into each totem, much like the existing ant head ward. 

 

Typically these totems should have a countdown timer.  Maybe carrying a totem in your off hand could be used to create a mobile safe zone as you walk through territories frightening off specific creatures.

I can get behind this. Would love to ward off ants and mites.

Mites suck.  Warding them off would be a godsend.  Walking near them feels like you already have a mite attraction totem in place.

 

I would love some peace from the Orb spiders in the game.  You can skirt most of the wolf spiders but the Orb spiders are always popping in to say hello when you least expect it.

 

It might also be kinda fun to have a totem that initiates a raid.  Imagine building a war base with friends and then throwing down a totem to start a wave based attack.  Different totems of this type could draw different difficulties of enemies with maybe some special drops if you make it through.  Even without special drops this could be a terrifyingly fun way to harvest resources.