According to Debbie Hadley of About.com Guide:
Mosquitoes are the
deadliest animals on Earth.
That's right, more deaths are associated with mosquitoes than any other animal
on the planet. Mosquitoes may carry any number of deadly diseases, including
malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, and encephalitis. Mosquitoes also carry
heartworm, which can be lethal to your dog.
Vaccinating Mosquitoes Can Ward
Off Malaria by Jesse Emspak in Popular
Science Magazine September 2013 issue.
It’s not the mosquito’s fault.
Malaria is actually caused by the Plasmodium
family of parasites, which is carried unwittingly by mosquitoes. John Hopkins biologist Rhoel Dinglasan’s team
has found this Plasmodium, at a critical stage in its life cycle, needs to bind
to a particular protein in the mosquito.
Blocking this protein will block transmission to humans! But, how do you treat a mosquito… with a tiny
little needle? Here is the clever
solution: vaccinate humans against this protein creating living mosquito
treatment factories for years by the immune systems producing antibodies
against that protein. Thus when a
mosquito bites a vaccinated human, it will suck up the antibodies blocking the
protein and thereby preventing the mosquito from passing along the malaria
disease!!! Of course, at this point,
this remains only a hypothesis and mosquito bites would be no less annoying.
After my 25 years of Integrated Pest Management techniques
and more traditional pest control practices, I think this vaccination idea is
not so practical. I suggest that we just get rid
of the mosquitoes.
What
Doesn't Work for Controlling Mosquitoes
Despite
what your friends tell you, some popular mosquito control methods have no
significant impact on keeping mosquitoes in check. According to Wayne J. Crans,
Associate Research Professor in Entomology at Rutgers University, these
often-touted mosquito solutions are not worth your time or money.
1. Bug zappers. Though the satisfying sizzle you
hear from this modern day insect torture device will convince you it's working,
don't expect much relief from backyard mosquitoes. According to Crans, biting
insects (including mosquitoes) generally make up less than 1% of the bugs
zapped in these popular devices. Many beneficial insects, on the other hand, do
get electrocuted.
2. Citrosa plants. While
citronella oil does have proven mosquito-repellent properties, the
genetically-modified plants sold for this purpose do not. In tests by
researchers, the test subjects bitten as often while surrounded by the Citrosa
plants as without them. In fact, mosquitoes were observed landing on the leaves
of Citrosa plants during the study.
3. Bats and/or purple
martins. While both bats and the colonial purple martins will consume
mosquitoes, the offending insects make up a small percentage of their natural
diet. Assertions about these insectivores being effective mosquito controls
grew out of misrepresented and misinterpreted data from unrelated studies.
While providing habitat for bats and purple martins has its value, don't do it
if only to reduce your mosquito populations.
4. Electronic devices that
transmit sounds to mimic male mosquitoes or dragonflies do not work. Crans goes
so far as to suggest "the claims made by distributors border on
fraud." Enough said.
So, what can we do?
1. If you want to keep mosquitoes under control around your home, you need to be vigilant about dumping any standing water every few days. Just a few inches of water
is all it takes for a female to deposit her eggs. Tiny mosquito larva develop
quickly in bird baths, roof gutters, thrash can lids, and old tires dumped in vacant lots.
2. Avoid going outdoors between dust and dawn.
3. Use mosquito repellents like DEET.
4. Insecticides can be used to help control mosquitoes. Some products are designed to be applied directly to water to control mosquito larvae, while others are used more broadly to control the adult mosquito.
5. Community, city or county agencies provide control as a service to the public and may apply pesticides by trucks or planes.
