Yes, I'm in favor of eliminating mosquitoes. Releasing sterile mosquitoes could work. I'm wary of widespread nonconsensual spraying, but it might be worth it in some cases.
On an individual level, here in the US it's common to hire companies to spray pyrethroid insecticides monthly. Our family doesn't currently do that because we like to play it safe while we have babies, plus it kills a lot of other insects.
We do use DIY mosquito buckets of doom, i.e. black buckets with water, a bit of decaying leaves, a stick so that frogs etc. can escape, and a BTi dunk that kills only mosquito larvae. They help a little. Companies will also maintain proprietary buckets for pay.
We have also had a deposit down on a Tornyol mosquito drone for over a year. The idea is it patrols your yard like a Roomba and intercepts mosquitoes. I hope it ships next year.
It frustrates me that the invasion of Tiger mosquitoes in the US around 2000 has contributed to the decline of outdoor play. There weren't this many mosquitoes when I grew up, or at least they were mainly confined to dawn and dusk. Tiger mosquitoes hunt all day. My kids spend less time outdoors than they otherwise would because of them.
I found myself agreeing with Tomas almost from the first paragraph, because his article perfectly complimented a Ted Talk that was given by Bill Gates about mosquities (side note, I was in the first row and was not expecting what came next)
The question was much the same...why do we feel compelled to protect a handful of mosquito species that are responsible for so much disease, suffering and death?
I understand the instinct to protect nature. But somewhere along the way, we seem to have adopted the idea that everything occurring naturally must therefore be preserved. We don't consider ourselves morally obligated to preserve smallpox. Why should a mosquito that spreads malaria or dengue be afforded some special status?
The number that is impossible for me to get past are those 700,000 deaths every year, many of which are children. I have yet to hear a rational argument against doing it. We sometimes apply a greater degree of caution to protecting an insect than we do to protecting the people it kills.
I am perfectly comfortable putting humanity first.
What bugs me about this mentality is that our ancestors already terraformed this planet over the past half million years. Eliminating all our natural predators, spreading beneficial plants and animals, diverting water, razing and planting fields and forests, removing stones and tilling soil - all this was going on long before agriculture, let alone industry. The "nature" they want to preserve is the nature humans created through their influence over hundreds of thousands of years, not some "pristine" pre-human wilderness. No such thing exists anywhere on earth. Most of what we think of as pristine is just stuff that hasn't been visibly meddled with in living memory.
It's worth asking, "do we like what we already made more than the change we're proposing," but it's silly to moralize about whether we're allowed to touch it. It's already been touched. There's no going back.
The reason why more than a few thousand people can now live in the Levantine part of the Middle East is because Second Aliyah Jews starting in the early 1900s drained the local swamps with the help of Christians, Arabs and the resident Jews whose ancestors survived the Roman and Arab purges of the past two millenia (washing the salt from the sand also helped)
The Romans had kept the swamps drained for farming purposes, but their imperial successors didn't. When the Ottomans finally decided to fix up the place they didn't have (or didn't want to spend money on) the resources to do it, so they allowed people who weren't Muslim to buy and own land there for the first time in over 1300 years
I believe they are in the process of, or having completed, eliminating a species of Mosquito in Florida but I haven't heard what the project found out. I'm all for getting rid of human pathenogenic mosquitoes. Also ticks and fleas! Lots of animals would be grateful too.
As a biologist I'm generally opposed to eradicating species. But I'm inclined to make an exception for Aedes and Aanopheles for the reasons you discuss. The burden of disease from them is huge. Humans nearly eliminated wolves because of their predation, but they don't come close to disease vector muzzies in their predation on humans. Low tech approaches like nets, DEET, and eliminating puddles near habitation should be used immediately. Wholesale elimination by releasing mass numbers of sterilized females is in pilot stages. There is always the possibility of unintended consequences on other more desirable species and these need to be evaluated in pilot studies. Disease carrying ticks also merit consideration.
Let us not fall into Candide’s naïve belief that this is the best of all possible worlds. The truth is that the world has never been entirely hospitable to human beings; throughout history, humanity has struggled against its hardships and limitations, constantly seeking to reshape it in order to improve the conditions of life.
Mosquitoes, for instance, inflict an enormous burden on humanity. If eliminating them could spare countless lives and suffering, there would be nothing inherently wrong in doing so. Improving the world has always been, in part, an essential aspect of the human condition.
I read this during our COVID year. It convinced me we can wipe out all the mosquito species without affecting other food changes. They are filling the ecological arbitrage or plain rent seekers. It would be a good thing.
Similarly to mosquitos, the freshwater snails are carriers for the real killer - Schistosoma. Difference is its a type of animal so maybe the snails are innocent bystanders...
And I think we just learned to better not piss off Tomas when he's about to go to sleep (scnr) :-) . I like the idea of a world without mosquitoes, but I am a bit afraid of the side effects and consequences this could have ('come on, we did it with mosquitoes, let's do xyz next etc')
1. Most mosquito-related deaths are caused by malaria. There are well-established ways to control malaria without completely eradicating mosquitoes, but they have not been implemented on a sufficient scale in Africa, largely because there simply isn't enough funding. Mosquito eradication in Africa, where most malaria deaths occur, would likely face the same problem.
2. Eradicating human-specialized mosquitoes is definitely a good idea. Humans became numerous enough to sustain populations of mosquitoes that primarily feed on humans after the advent of agriculture, so these mosquitoes have only been around for a few thousand years. I don't think they are particularly well integrated into the ecosystem.
3. Killing mosquitoes that feed on both humans and animals could have unpredictable consequences, however. I would therefore like to see them eradicated in a small area first, and then observe what happens.
Worth mentioning in this connection, I grew up in Minnesota with zillions of mosquitos. My Dad was an identical twin, got Parkinsons and died at 84. His twin brother did not get Parkinsons, lived to 91.
I remember when we visited once, Dad had a "fogger" out in the yard to get rid of mosquitoes, and I remembered that later when he got Parkinsons - one theory is that it can be caused by insecticides. I mention my uncle the twin brother to show it's not just a genetic thing.
Something to remember when we talk about how to get rid of mosquitos.
Yes, I'm in favor of eliminating mosquitoes. Releasing sterile mosquitoes could work. I'm wary of widespread nonconsensual spraying, but it might be worth it in some cases.
On an individual level, here in the US it's common to hire companies to spray pyrethroid insecticides monthly. Our family doesn't currently do that because we like to play it safe while we have babies, plus it kills a lot of other insects.
We do use DIY mosquito buckets of doom, i.e. black buckets with water, a bit of decaying leaves, a stick so that frogs etc. can escape, and a BTi dunk that kills only mosquito larvae. They help a little. Companies will also maintain proprietary buckets for pay.
https://sidewalknature.com/2022/05/08/mosquito-bucket-of-doom/
We have also had a deposit down on a Tornyol mosquito drone for over a year. The idea is it patrols your yard like a Roomba and intercepts mosquitoes. I hope it ships next year.
https://tornyol.com/
It frustrates me that the invasion of Tiger mosquitoes in the US around 2000 has contributed to the decline of outdoor play. There weren't this many mosquitoes when I grew up, or at least they were mainly confined to dawn and dusk. Tiger mosquitoes hunt all day. My kids spend less time outdoors than they otherwise would because of them.
You could nearly write the next article!
I found myself agreeing with Tomas almost from the first paragraph, because his article perfectly complimented a Ted Talk that was given by Bill Gates about mosquities (side note, I was in the first row and was not expecting what came next)
https://youtu.be/ZLkbWUNQbgk?is=Dj0RrdKK0rtGfaQY
The question was much the same...why do we feel compelled to protect a handful of mosquito species that are responsible for so much disease, suffering and death?
I understand the instinct to protect nature. But somewhere along the way, we seem to have adopted the idea that everything occurring naturally must therefore be preserved. We don't consider ourselves morally obligated to preserve smallpox. Why should a mosquito that spreads malaria or dengue be afforded some special status?
The number that is impossible for me to get past are those 700,000 deaths every year, many of which are children. I have yet to hear a rational argument against doing it. We sometimes apply a greater degree of caution to protecting an insect than we do to protecting the people it kills.
I am perfectly comfortable putting humanity first.
What bugs me about this mentality is that our ancestors already terraformed this planet over the past half million years. Eliminating all our natural predators, spreading beneficial plants and animals, diverting water, razing and planting fields and forests, removing stones and tilling soil - all this was going on long before agriculture, let alone industry. The "nature" they want to preserve is the nature humans created through their influence over hundreds of thousands of years, not some "pristine" pre-human wilderness. No such thing exists anywhere on earth. Most of what we think of as pristine is just stuff that hasn't been visibly meddled with in living memory.
It's worth asking, "do we like what we already made more than the change we're proposing," but it's silly to moralize about whether we're allowed to touch it. It's already been touched. There's no going back.
I agree. I also think we should eradicate ticks.
Probably should eradicate all parasites..
I like how you think
Might actually be one of the more feasible wild animal welfare interventions too?
Study that, I want to know!
The reason why more than a few thousand people can now live in the Levantine part of the Middle East is because Second Aliyah Jews starting in the early 1900s drained the local swamps with the help of Christians, Arabs and the resident Jews whose ancestors survived the Roman and Arab purges of the past two millenia (washing the salt from the sand also helped)
The Romans had kept the swamps drained for farming purposes, but their imperial successors didn't. When the Ottomans finally decided to fix up the place they didn't have (or didn't want to spend money on) the resources to do it, so they allowed people who weren't Muslim to buy and own land there for the first time in over 1300 years
I didn’t know that. Crazy!
I know right!? Most of the areas that weren't swamps were deserts. Non-Muslim land ownership was fully legalized in 1867:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman_Land_Code_of_1858
You can read about the malaria and salty soil problems here:
https://jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-arabs-in-palestine
I believe they are in the process of, or having completed, eliminating a species of Mosquito in Florida but I haven't heard what the project found out. I'm all for getting rid of human pathenogenic mosquitoes. Also ticks and fleas! Lots of animals would be grateful too.
As a biologist I'm generally opposed to eradicating species. But I'm inclined to make an exception for Aedes and Aanopheles for the reasons you discuss. The burden of disease from them is huge. Humans nearly eliminated wolves because of their predation, but they don't come close to disease vector muzzies in their predation on humans. Low tech approaches like nets, DEET, and eliminating puddles near habitation should be used immediately. Wholesale elimination by releasing mass numbers of sterilized females is in pilot stages. There is always the possibility of unintended consequences on other more desirable species and these need to be evaluated in pilot studies. Disease carrying ticks also merit consideration.
Indeed!
Small correction: sterilized MALES!
Let us not fall into Candide’s naïve belief that this is the best of all possible worlds. The truth is that the world has never been entirely hospitable to human beings; throughout history, humanity has struggled against its hardships and limitations, constantly seeking to reshape it in order to improve the conditions of life.
Mosquitoes, for instance, inflict an enormous burden on humanity. If eliminating them could spare countless lives and suffering, there would be nothing inherently wrong in doing so. Improving the world has always been, in part, an essential aspect of the human condition.
Gene drive could work, but it is more risky than just dropping millions (billions?) of sterile males.
Let's also get rid of the screw fly while we are at it.
I look into it in the next article!
I read this during our COVID year. It convinced me we can wipe out all the mosquito species without affecting other food changes. They are filling the ecological arbitrage or plain rent seekers. It would be a good thing.
https://www.amazon.com/Mosquito-Human-History-Deadliest-Predator/dp/1524743410
Looks super interesting, thanks for sharing!
Very well written! Also, I had no idea that dogs harm so many humans every year.
I went on a whole tangent just to understand how freshwater snails kill so many people each year!
Hahaha I saw that and I was like, what? But didn't look. Please tell us!
Similarly to mosquitos, the freshwater snails are carriers for the real killer - Schistosoma. Difference is its a type of animal so maybe the snails are innocent bystanders...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schistosoma?wprov=sfla1
Overall the animals in the list that actually are the killers and not carriers/incubators are the snakes, roundworms, scorpions and tapeworms.
Just the one breed
Which breed is it that does most harm to humans?
And I think we just learned to better not piss off Tomas when he's about to go to sleep (scnr) :-) . I like the idea of a world without mosquitoes, but I am a bit afraid of the side effects and consequences this could have ('come on, we did it with mosquitoes, let's do xyz next etc')
Pitbulls are like 90% of attacks
It's not a breed, it's a broad, subjective category that's frequently misapplied.
30-50 deaths by dogs in the US per year. The majority of death by dogs comes from rabies and stray attacks - in countries other than the US.
Wild to think that the net weight of humans killed by mosquitoes is higher than the total amount of blood they take.
Interesting point!
Excellent article! Here are my comments:
1. Most mosquito-related deaths are caused by malaria. There are well-established ways to control malaria without completely eradicating mosquitoes, but they have not been implemented on a sufficient scale in Africa, largely because there simply isn't enough funding. Mosquito eradication in Africa, where most malaria deaths occur, would likely face the same problem.
2. Eradicating human-specialized mosquitoes is definitely a good idea. Humans became numerous enough to sustain populations of mosquitoes that primarily feed on humans after the advent of agriculture, so these mosquitoes have only been around for a few thousand years. I don't think they are particularly well integrated into the ecosystem.
3. Killing mosquitoes that feed on both humans and animals could have unpredictable consequences, however. I would therefore like to see them eradicated in a small area first, and then observe what happens.
Thanks! Makes sense.
On 1, what established ways are there to eradicate malaria that haven’t been tried yet?
As i recall, bats eat mosquitoes, right? But I doubt if they care which species they eat. I assume bats have some redeemable value?
Thanks for the correction! Yes, males
I may have missed it but how can you selectively eradicate one specific species of mosquito without affecting other species?
You haven’t missed it. Next article!
Worth mentioning in this connection, I grew up in Minnesota with zillions of mosquitos. My Dad was an identical twin, got Parkinsons and died at 84. His twin brother did not get Parkinsons, lived to 91.
I remember when we visited once, Dad had a "fogger" out in the yard to get rid of mosquitoes, and I remembered that later when he got Parkinsons - one theory is that it can be caused by insecticides. I mention my uncle the twin brother to show it's not just a genetic thing.
Something to remember when we talk about how to get rid of mosquitos.
Indeed! The method would not be chemical!