EPA approves use of weaponized mosquitoes in 20 states

[terry78]

https://qz.com/1123456/the-epa-has-approved-the-release-of-weaponized-mosquitoes-in-20-us-states/

What a time to be alive.

 

[Boom]

Wouldn't our time (and money) be better spent on mass-breeding honey bees?

Kinda need those things to survive.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

We're living in a SYFY Saturday night TV movie.

 

[Teelie]

Wouldn't our time (and money) be better spent on mass-breeding honey bees?

Kinda need those things to survive.

There are several problems with that.

First, you need to know how to keep them from just dying off. It won't do any good to breed 10 billion bees if they all die a week later. Besides which, it isn't mass breeding bees that needs to be done, it's better use of insecticides and other lazy forms of insect control that are detrimental to bees being in decline. There is also a loss of natural flowers and environment for bees contributing to it.

Second, killing off mosquitoes is vitally important when they carry so many harmful diseases and it is easier to find a way to reduce their population than it is to produce more bees (who would need hives to live in, in places that may already be too hostile to bees). Ironically mosquito control is one of the reasons (insecticide) that has been harming bee populations as well. Less mosquitoes, less need for insecticide, less bees dead.

And finally, this is more viable than needlessly dumping money into a problem that already has a solution (don't use insecticide that harms bees, let wild flowers grow and stop messing with their environment) than it is to just make more of them and hope for the best.

The two are not interchangable even if one is indirectly connected to the other.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

F*** yeah! Hate those damn things, I'm willing to risk the possible impending Apocalypse if we can even get rid of half of them.

 

[terry78]

Two years later we get a call from some foreign "ally."

"Hey, you guys created mosquitos with bacteria that can sterilize other mosquitos right? Could you do that on say...a larger scale?"

 

[Micromind]

How long before those weaponized mosquitoes mutate and become a bigger menace ?

 

[squeekness]

How long before those weaponized mosquitoes mutate and become a bigger menace ?

This. "They spent so much time wondering whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."

 

[Teelie]

That is unlikely. Too much science fiction deals with the idea that somehow the mutation will be perfectly capable of creating an even more dangerous problem instead of the more likely scenario they just become immune to that particular threat.

I doubt the mosquitoes will suddenly grow in size (they can't because of physical limitations and lack of higher oxygen levels) or turn into venomous insects or suddenly carry a new disease that we haven't already seen them carry. The potential impact on the environment has been thoroughly studied but I'm also going on what research and scientists involved or knowledgable on it have claimed. Whatever does happen I think the worst thing is it fails and then we have mutated mosquitoes running around that are otherwise exactly the same as the existing species.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

I'm actually familiar with this as FL skeeters are annoying af. What they are doing is removing the ability for them to breed, so mutating is a moot point. The modified mosquitoes will mate passing along the dominant gene removing the ability for them to breed which will kill them off in a few generations (mosquito generations are cycles of a week or less I believe).

The real concern comes from disrupting the food chain because there are plenty of other critters that eat mosquitoes so removing one of their food sources could have potential to seriously mess with other species we don't intend to target.

 

[squeekness]

That's the thing. You get a short term fix without knowing the long term effects.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

That's the thing. You get a short term fix without knowing the long term effects.

Well it's def not going to be mutant mosquitoes as they will be dead on account of not being able to breed.

 

[squeekness]

I just get nervous when we start tinkering around with things we don't fully understand. Sometimes it works out okay, sometimes not.

 

[Teelie]

I'm actually familiar with this as FL skeeters are annoying af. What they are doing is removing the ability for them to breed, so mutating is a moot point. The modified mosquitoes will mate passing along the dominant gene removing the ability for them to breed which will kill them off in a few generations (mosquito generations are cycles of a week or less I believe).

The real concern comes from disrupting the food chain because there are plenty of other critters that eat mosquitoes so removing one of their food sources could have potential to seriously mess with other species we don't intend to target.

True but the amount of mosquitoes this is going to kill off is negligible to that I think and besides these are an introduced species, not a native species of mosquito.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

True but the amount of mosquitoes this is going to kill off is negligible to that I think and besides these are an introduced species, not a native species of mosquito.

F*** em all, kill em all IMO.

 

[squeekness]

F*** em all, kill em all IMO.

Hee hee.

 

[Arachnerd]

Mosquitoes are the only species on this planet I desperately hope go extinct soon.

 

[squeekness]

Ticks. Ticks can go, too.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

Don't male mosquitoes sting as well? What if a mosquito stings something or someone and infects them?

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Don't male mosquitoes sting as well? What if a mosquito stings something or someone and infects them?

It's just the females and they don't really sting, they have a tiny needle-like beak that sucks your blood which they use to feed themselves and their unborn children. The bite doesn't even hurt since they actually secrete a substance that numbs the spot where they bite you. A few minutes after it gets itchy. It's really just annoying af as opposed to a wasp or bee sting which is much more painful.