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[terrisus]

Pandas won't even mate with pandas.

 

[kess]

I agree with this. fuck Mosquitos.

and before anyone accuses me of cavalierly fucking with the biome; there's a very good argument to be made that we really would be better off - "we" being everything on earth that isn't a mosquito - without them. they occupy a fairly unique intersection of being horrible disease carriers AND not an essential food or driver to any other part of the environment.

I am happy to be corrected by someone more knowledgeable in this point, but this is my understanding. if we can modify them, we should. for humanity's sake of nothing else.

Here ya go

A WORLD WITHOUT MOSQUITOES

There are 3,500 named species of mosquito, of which only a couple of hundred bite or bother humans.

Yet in many cases, scientists acknowledge that the ecologi-
cal scar left by a missing mosquito would heal quickly as the niche was filled by other organisms. Life would continue as before — or even better. When it comes to the major disease vectors, “it’s difficult to see what the downside would be to removal, except for collateral damage”, says insect ecologist Steven Juliano, of Illinois State University in Normal.

However...

Views differ on what would happen if that biomass vanished. Bruce Harrison, an entomologist at the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Winston-Salem estimates that the number of migratory birds that nest in the tundra could drop by more than 50% without mosquitoes to eat. Other researchers disagree.

...

“Mosquitoes are delectable things to eat and they’re easy to catch,” says aquatic entomologist Richard Merritt, at Michi- gan State University in East Lansing. In the absence of their larvae, hundreds of species of fish would have to change their diet to survive. “This may sound simple, but traits such as feeding behaviour are deeply imprinted, genetically, in those fish,” says Harrison. The mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), for example, is a specialized predator — so effective at killing mosquitoes that it is stocked in rice fields and swimming pools as pest control — that could go extinct. And the loss of these or other fish could have major effects up and down the food chain.

Many species of insect, spider, salamander, lizard and frog would also lose a primary food source. In one study published last month, researchers tracked insect eating house martins at a park in Camargue, France, after the area was sprayed with a microbial mosquito control agent . They found that the birds produced on average two chicks per nest after spraying, compared with three for birds at control sites.

 

[Coriolanus]

Smallpox isn't a food source for other animals.

It is if you consider what it usually entailed.

Here ya go

A WORLD WITHOUT MOSQUITOES


However...

Article was linked in the previous page, mate.

 

[Replicant]

JFC, I've seen people suffering from dengue disease and it's scary stuff. Bleeding pores, etc.

What could have possibly gone wrong from them releasing genetically modified mosquitos?

 

[Toxi]

It is if you consider what it usually entailed.

True.

The main issue is that removing mosquitoes doesn't just remove the effects of their diseases, it also removes them from the food chain. Since mosquitoes are so populous, this will have significant impact. The Nature article even admits that it will; the hope is that something else can fill in their niche, which is rather wishful thinking.

Exterminating mosquitoes isn't a bad idea with the misery they cause, but there will be consequences beyond helping people. Hopefully as we understand more, we will know what those consequences will be.

 

[LookAtMeGo]

You know who else was British?

Florida will be spared, no expense.

 

[Plywood]

 

[Toxi]

Then again, it seems a bit petty to be concerned about the ecological consequences of getting rid of mosquitoes when we're already fucking with ecology to a massive degree. At least this time it would save lives.

 

[Link]

The British want to destroy us starting with Florida.

Can you really blame them?

 

[Nudull]

I, for one, welcome our bloodsucking mutant overlords.

 

[enanogrande]

Chikungunya is horrible.

Carry on.

 

[TheDrizzlerJ11]

Then again, it seems a bit petty to be concerned about the ecological consequences of getting rid of mosquitoes when we're already fucking with ecology to a massive degree. At least this time it would save lives.

Florida has our one of our largest National Preserves. It's the most important thing about the state. Introducing a new species at its doorstep to test this sounds very dumb. Stuff like this never goes the way we think it will.

 

[speculawyer]

That's Minnesota.



I hope they have success with their program.

 

[Coriolanus]

Florida has our one of our largest National Preserves. It's the most important thing about the state. Introducing a new species at its doorstep to test this sounds very dumb. Stuff like this never goes the way we think it will.

Not new species. Modified current species.

Also tested in other countries. Extrapolate results from their data.

Anyway, I live in Brazil. These buggers were released in the state of Bahia, and this is what happened:

The experiment worked in Bahia. In the last three years, more than 55 million transgenic mosquitoes were released in cities with Chikungunya epidemics. In six months, the mosquito population was reduced by an average of 79%, surpassing 90% in some neighborhoods.

So yeah, in urban zones it works. Quite well.
Also creates jerbs.

Going three years strong, can't find negative news about it. Hrm.

 

[whiteninja]

Mosquitos? Pshhh
The real annoyances here are these fuckers

 

[Toxi]

Going three years strong, can't find negative news about it. Hrm.

It's difficult to measure changes in such a short time frame, and even if there were negative effects, you'd have to figure out the connection to the introduced mosquitoes. That's one of the annoying parts of ecology; data collection is difficult and there are tons of factors that affect fitness.

Glad to see them working though.

 

[Coriolanus]

What would be an acceptable time frame, then?

Also having trouble thinking of what could be ingesting these creatures in urban environments, given that we already have government enforced policies to make sure that we don't create or maintain habitats for the buggers. Every 3 months or so a municipal employee comes around to check both businesses and homes for still water, and that's been going on for more than 15 years. Whatever predator they have or had has most likely already been severely impacted by this conduct, at least in urban environments.

 

[Toxi]

What would be an acceptable time frame, then?

Depends on which part you're researching. You have to get rid of the mitigating factors like differences in climate year-to-year.

Also having trouble thinking of what could be ingesting these creatures in urban environments.

Plenty of critters live in cities, but I'm not particularly worried about those. They tend to be widespread generalists.

 

[Troubled Bat]

We're already dead.

 

[Jimrpg]

Three insects we need to get rid of

1. Wasps/hornets - because they are scary

2. Cockroaches - because whats the point

3. Mosquitoes - because they carry disease...

I'm generally ok with anything else.

 

[Epsilon-delta]

Three insects we need to get rid of

1. Wasps/hornets - because they are scary

2. Cockroaches - because whats the point

3. Mosquitoes - because they carry disease...

I'm generally ok with anything else.

I don't think it's possible to eradicate cockroaches to be honest.

 

[Toxi]

Three insects we need to get rid of

1. Wasps/hornets - because they are scary

Getting rid of wasps would cause mass starvation. They love to murder the bugs that eat our crops.

But they are definitely assholes.

 

[Nudull]

I don't think it's possible to eradicate cockroaches to be honest.

They spread diseases, scare the shit out of people, and are practically immortal. Any sort of mutation, and we'd all be fucked.

 

[terrisus]

Three insects we need to get rid of

1. Wasps/hornets - because they are scary

2. Cockroaches - because whats the point

3. Mosquitoes - because they carry disease...

I'm generally ok with anything else.

Getting rid of wasps would cause mass starvation. They love to murder the bugs that eat our crops.

But they are definitely assholes.

 

[Extra Sauce]

the start of zombie apocalypse

That was my first thought as well.

Be right back, gonna buy thousands of dollars worth of water bottles.

 

[Currygan]

 

[Mikey Jr.]

Hopefully some day this will lead to the complete extermination of this piece of shit.

I'm willing to sacrifice a couple frogs for it.

 

[Coriolanus]

New vegas cazador pic

Was so disappointed when I found out that the reason cazadors and deathclaws remain threatening throughout the game is because their attacks bypass armor ;(

 

[Toxi]

They spread diseases, scare the shit out of people, and are practically immortal. Any sort of mutation, and we'd all be fucked.

Cockroaches don't really spread disease. They groom themselves constantly and will only be as dirty as the stuff they find in your house to eat.

House flies on the other hand walk on shit, eat it, then walk on your food and vomit on it.

 

[AlphaSnake]

These guys added an extra 70 million mosquitoes to the world? >_<

So this is how the world ends right?

...did any of you people read the article before kneejerking to the Florida memes?

Seriously.

People, for the love of God, READ the article. Male mosquitos do not bite or suck blood. They modified and have begun releasing male mosquitos, whose DNA will KILL the females as soon as they try to reproduce. It's thats simple.

You know what they do in New York City to combat mosquitos? They spray the entire fucking city from helicopters and trucks with pesticide. Yes. The entire goddamned city smells like pesticide for about 3 days every summer and they have cars driving around advising us to stay in. Fuck that.

Release the hounds, I say. Let these GMO'd skeeters do their work.

 

[Escape Goat]

Seriously.

People, for the love of God, READ the article. Male mosquitos do not bite or suck blood. They modified and have begun releasing male mosquitos, whose DNA will KILL the females as soon as they try to reproduce. It's thats simple.

You know what they do in New York City to combat mosquitos? They spray the entire fucking city from helicopters and trucks with pesticide. Yes. The entire goddamned city smells like pesticide for about 3 days every summer and they have cars driving around advising us to stay in. Fuck that.

Release the hounds, I say. Let these GMO'd skeeters do their work.

loool

 

[WorldStar]

mosquitoes serve no purpose and shouldnt exist

 

[Currygan]

mosquitoes serve no purpose and shouldnt exist

Same can be said about the Tories, yet I wouldn't want to exterminate them

 

[WorldStar]

what if hte male mosquitoes develop a taste for blood

Same can be said about the Tories, yet I wouldn't want to exterminate them

what is a torie

 

[Toxi]

what if hte male mosquitoes develop a taste for blood

Male mosquitoes don't even have the necessary mouth parts to drink blood.

 

[Trojan X]

Wonder if they still have problems with those asian giant mosquitoes.

Thank goodness the image loaded slowly for me. It was a quarter done from the top before I managed to close the window in time.

 

[Leynos]

Sterilizing male insects as a population control has been around for decades. This method is new in that they are manipulating DNA, instead of the usual method of irradiation. If it is proven to be safe, then I'm all for it.

Would you prefer the alternative? Either catching a horrible disease, or getting sprayed with ever more toxic pesticides? I guess some people would prefer that.

 

[terrisus]

Reason #84 to avoid New York:

You know what they do in New York City to combat mosquitos? They spray the entire fucking city from helicopters and trucks with pesticide. Yes. The entire goddamned city smells like pesticide for about 3 days every summer and they have cars driving around advising us to stay in. Fuck that.

 

[terrisus]

Same can be said about the Tories, yet I wouldn't want to exterminate them

Quiet you!
You're the ones plotting this whole thing!

Spoiler

Kidding, of course <3

 

[gutter_trash]

this will not end well

 

[Toxi]

this will not end well

Would you rather get bitten by a radioactive mosquito or a genetically modified mosquito?

Either way, you'll gain superpowers.

 

[Lace]

this will not end well

Hopefully just for the mosquitos.

 

[Fuchsdh]

The evidence suggests otherwise.
http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100721/full/466432a.html

That was a really interesting article, but it only highlights the bizarrely esoteric ways getting rid of a nuisance can have ripple effects; it doesn't seem like "things would be fine" is really an honest answer to "what happened if we got rid of the mosquitos", but then again the question of what kind of consequences are worth ridding the world of these sorts of diseases is an open-ended one with no right answer.

 

[WorldStar]

Male mosquitoes don't even have the necessary mouth parts to drink blood.

not yet they dont

 

[WorldStar]

Thank goodness the image loaded slowly for me. It was a quarter done from the top before I managed to close the window in time.

could be worse...

 

[ItIsOkBro]

If is proven to be safe, then I'm all for it.

yea let‘s test everything out in florida first tho.

 

[VeeP]

Reason #84 to avoid New York:

This happens in many parts of the world. Pesticides such as DDT are applied in areas, and this leads to less Mosquitos and diseases such as Malaria, Dengue, etc. in those environments. 3 days of pesticide smell is worth it.

 

[SenorArdilla]

Male mosquitoes don't even have the necessary mouth parts to drink blood.

Not to mention that the whole point of mosquitoes drinking blood is to lay eggs.

 

[Log4Girlz]

I already fly to work on one.

 

[Caddywompus]

It's been a while but I remember reading the biggest impact on the ecosystem might be fish and other aquatic animals that feed on the abundant water larva. An easy food source missing for animals in the early stages of the life cycle could create a dominio effect.