Could we eliminate mosquitoes from the planet?

[Red Squirrel]

Rip them out with bare hands.

That's not as fun as the "kerplunk" sound the tool makes when you "reload" it, ejecting the weed. :biggrin:

 

[Red Squirrel]

Let's engineer a killer virus, or superior mosquito eating predator. What's the worst that could happen? :whiste:

Or even better, we can build robots! Nano robots, that seek out and destroy mosquito using laser beams. It would leave a body for animals to eat, so it would not screw up the food chain. These bots would be designed to form a perimeter around humans so no mosquito makes it near humans.

Since they would be so small they could be powered by radio waves, from the satellites that control them. They could also learn mosquito patterns to seek them out better.

Call it: Flynet. :biggrin:

 

[HeXen]

Engineer mosquito's that don't bite humans. Deer fly's are also a problem, they can take a plug of meat out of ya. But all biting fly's are annoying as it seems they breed by the billions every day.

 

[lxskllr]

Engineer mosquito's that don't bite humans. Deer fly's are also a problem, they can take a plug of meat out of ya. But all biting fly's are annoying as it seems they breed by the billions every day.

Deer flies are real fuckers. Pro tip... raise one hand over your head. They generally go to the highest area of exposed skin. When they land on your raised hand, squash them with the other ;^)

 

[Red Squirrel]

Horse flies are a pain too, they seem to always go for the legs right when you come out of the lake. the nice thing is they are fairly big so they're easy to grab, squish, and pitch on the ground for the chipmunks to eat. (Chipmunks surprisingly do eat bugs a lot, I've even seen them pounce them like a cat lol)

 

[WHAMPOM]

I recall reading about some bug that is actually born with no mouth or other input method. They are born with "built in" nutrients that give them a short life. Have no clue how it works, but apparently, it does. Some "special chosen one" is probably born WITH a mouth or other intake method, and that's basically the "queen".

Mayflies. They molt, emerge from the water, huge swarms fly around in a mating frenzy, lay their eggs and die.

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

y'all are looking at it backwards. We need to engineer a vaccine for humans that acts as a repellent. Or at least prevents bites from being an issue.

I actually am REALLY surprised that this hasnt been developed yet.


Or maybe it has but only the Illuminati are allowed to use it :shifty:

 

[destrekor]

y'all are looking at it backwards. We need to engineer a vaccine for humans that acts as a repellent. Or at least prevents bites from being an issue.

I actually am REALLY surprised that this hasnt been developed yet.


Or maybe it has but only the Illuminati are allowed to use it :shifty:

You're surprised we're not yet gods of the human body? We, collectively, don't know how a whole heck of a lot. :\


They don't have any vaccines for allergic responses, just ways to manage them.

They also don't have, at least yet, the ability to develop any kind of vaccine-like deterrent that blocks the mosquito from even trying to stick us. I would imagine it would need to be some kind of pheromone, and I don't recall them developing any kind of strategy to change, enhance, or otherwise alter the human pheromones at the biological level.

 

[SheHateMe]

I just treated a mosquito bite that got all nasty and was oozing. Its really hard not to scratch the bites....

I'm just going to wrap myself in cellophane before I go outside.

 

[lxskllr]

I'm just going to wrap myself in cellophane before I go outside.

That's hot.

 

[norseamd]

I just treated a mosquito bite that got all nasty and was oozing. Its really hard not to scratch the bites.... I'm just going to wrap myself in cellophane before I go outside.

want to come to minnesota?

 

[Paladin3]

I was swatting at something buzzing around my ear today, when I heard a tiny voice "zzzzzz....fucking humans...zzzzzz...taste like shit...zzzzzzzzz...how do we kill them all...zzzzzz!"

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

You're surprised we're not yet gods of the human body? We, collectively, don't know how a whole heck of a lot. :\


They don't have any vaccines for allergic responses, just ways to manage them.

They also don't have, at least yet, the ability to develop any kind of vaccine-like deterrent that blocks the mosquito from even trying to stick us. I would imagine it would need to be some kind of pheromone, and I don't recall them developing any kind of strategy to change, enhance, or otherwise alter the human pheromones at the biological level.

ya, a little. We've been able to do a lot.

but alas, even if we did discover some sort of deterrent those damn skieeters would just adapt and be twice as itchy. Kinda like staph.,,, we found a way to fight it and then it evolved. So now we have MRSA.

 

[Lean L]

I remember reading about this years ago.

The end result is that mosquito fish would become extinct and not much other impact to the environment if I remember right.

The way to do this is to introduce a bunch of genetically modified female mosquitoes into the wild. These mosquitoes will produce male offspring that will never be able to fly while the females fly and spread this deadly trait.

After a few generations, mosquitoes will be gone for good.

I think they are still looking at environmental impacts before putting it to plan. It's not a bad idea.

 

[disappoint]

We need to eliminate them but replace them with something else.

I don't think mosquitoes live very long as is, so we just need to replace them with ones that don't have a stinger or teeth and just die of starvation a few days after being born.

Yeah that sounds about right. Replace a species that has no trouble surviving and multiplying with one that just dies of starvation a few days after being born. How do you think that's going to go?

You religious folks really don't understand evolution and natural selection do you? I mean I thought maybe you were just trolling but now I'm starting to be convinced that you actually do lack the mental capacity to understand how it works. Sad really. I want to believe everyone can understand and learn as much as anyone else if they just put the time and effort into it, but it seems as if that might not be so.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Yeah that sounds about right. Replace a species that has no trouble surviving and multiplying with one that just dies of starvation a few days after being born. How do you think that's going to go?

You religious folks really don't understand evolution and natural selection do you? I mean I thought maybe you were just trolling but now I'm starting to be convinced that you actually do lack the mental capacity to understand how it works. Sad really. I want to believe everyone can understand and learn as much as anyone else if they just put the time and effort into it, but it seems as if that might not be so.

Show me where the bad mosquito priest touched you.

 

[disappoint]

Show me where the bad mosquito priest touched you.

What is a mosquito priest?

Oh I get it, you want everyone to believe that you have to be molested as a child to argue against something. That's just not so. Glad we could have this little discussion and clear that up for you.

 

[BladeVenom]

Let's engineer a killer virus, or superior mosquito eating predator. What's the worst that could happen? :whiste:

There already exists a superior mosquito eating predator, the dragonfly. I've seen a huge cloud of mosquitoes quickly taken out by just a handful of dragonflies.

 

[CottonRabbit]

People are already working on it. It's not unprecedented either, quite a few other flying pests have already been eliminated.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterile_insect_technique

 

[Northern Lawn]

Kill all flying insects except for butterflys.

 

[zinfamous]

Yes, we probably can.

And actually, it wouldn't really fuck up much of anything. They aren't a staple diet and they can't be considered a supplemental diet for any other critter. Basically, there are far too many other bugs for various critters to survive on without mosquitoes being around.

And all they do is suck blood and spread disease. That is their sole purpose in the ecosystem. ....is that population control? Maybe, but they aren't going to wreak havoc on the food chain in terms of loss of food source.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/07/09/120709fa_fact_specter

 

[Newbian]

When we do get bit, IIRC, it is only ever a female. The males of all species stick to nectar, and even the blood-sucking females can still satisfy all their nutritional needs with nectars and whatnot.

Just one more way to prove females are blood sucking bastards.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

yeah, as much as i hate them, wiping out all mosquitoes (or assholes as i call them) is probably a bad idea. eliminating an entire animal family, especially something low on the food chain, will certainly upset the balance nature has built for itself and the consequences will be both unpredictable and undesirable.

mosquitoes are a disease vector. so is television.

 

[BurnItDwn]

I think we should give squirrels flyswatters and pay them to kill all the mosquitoes.

I hear they will gladly work for peanuts!

 

[The Boston Dangler]

I think we should give squirrels flyswatters and pay them to kill all the mosquitoes.

I hear they will gladly work for peanuts!