World without mosquitoes

For many years, scientists have been studying Wolbachia, looking for ways to use it to potentially control the mosquitoes that transmit human viruses.

Ecology: A world without mosquitoes.

The tiny pests kill more thanpeople every year according to the World Health Organization. So we wondered, what if we eradicated mosquitoes? While a lot of us see mosquitoes as a ubiquitous sign of summer, these buzzing bugs do more than just riddle us with swollen itchy bites; they carry a deadly potential to millions around the world.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are more than 3, different species of mosquitoes, but only around three of those species are responsible for spreading diseases among humans.

Do mosquitoes do anything positive? Anopheles mosquitoes are the ones that spread malaria and the Greek origin of their name actually means, of little use.

You'd have to create a desert essentially to get rid of that. If you introduced a lot of predators, say the fish, dragon flies — yes, they'll probably take care of your problem, then they're probably going to start taking care of each other and they're going to start taking care of other things you don't want them to take care of.

What are we left with? Genetic modification may be the safest route in ridding ourselves of mosquitoes. Oxitec has been working for more than a decade in eradicating dengue fever mosquitoes through genetic modification. We can reduce the mosquito population of that one species in a town by over 90 percent.

I don't mind the ones that are just a nuisance.

Arctic pests

But even still, we're talking a long time, a lot of effort.Imagine there are no mosquitoes – it isn’t hard to do. No welts to itch or scratch and no malaria too.

An article in the scientific journal Nature has set off a discussion about whether it is advisable or even feasible to kill the world’s mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes are considered to be the most dangerous animal on the planet but most deaths are in 3rd world countries where sanitation is poor, availability of medical treatment is restricted, and pest control is limited. or some other outdoor activity, everything you do in your backyard is better without mosquitoes.

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Why We Need Mosquito Control

Mosquitoes don't have too many fans. Their bites are itchy, they spread disease, and their numbers swell rapidly. But just what would happen if we all woke up tomorrow in a world that was.

It is the limitations of mosquito-killing methods, not the limitations of intent, that make a world without mosquitoes unlikely.

Food on the wing

And so, while humans inadvertently drive beneficial species, from tuna to corals, to the edge of extinction, their best efforts can't seriously threaten an insect with few redeeming features.

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Atlanta in particular is a hotspot for mosquito activity and GA is in the top-ten list for reported cases of West Nile, too. 3. Louisiana – It comes as no surprise the Bayou is a haven for mosquitoes.