We were going to release something like this in California but environmental groups killed it.
I've been having some success with "mosquito dunks" in buckets here in Los Angeles but unless the neighbors do it to we still get bit
mullingitover · 7h ago
LA has a project where sterile male mosquitos are released[1]. Females only mate once, so this absolutely wrecks mosquito populations. It's the same strategy that keep screwworms contained at the Darrien Gap.
I'd say the USDA will handle this, but there has never been less competent leadership at the top so we're probably toast unless someone is brave enough to let rip with a gene drive attack (which I would personally love to see, biotech reactionaries be damned).
trod1234 · 2h ago
This is by far the safer way to do these things. You never know what's going to happen when you Geneer a completely new organism and then release it into the wild.
burnt-resistor · 1h ago
In this cade, I disagree with environmentalists. Mosquitoes have killed more humans than all the wars, possibly half whoever lived or 50 billion. They aren't essential.
notfed · 7h ago
Why did they kill it? Were risks identified independent of eliminating mosquitoes, or was it killed due to perceived causal effects of eliminating mosquitoes?
ItCouldBeWorse · 7h ago
Because diseases have a tendency to recombine and jump hosts - it could become a human plague- similar to malaria..
Teever · 6h ago
From the link provided by user mullingitover:
> This initiative introduces X-ray sterilized male mosquitoes in target areas as part of a Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) pilot program
It is highly unlikely that x-ray sterilized male mosquitos would cause a human plague similar to malaria.
daveguy · 6h ago
That was a sibling comment of the GP (sterilized mosquitos), the article itself is about a genetically engineered disease.
The article has mosquitos "releasing toxic proteins in their semen". Seems like the sterilization is a much better option. "We promise it's not toxic to humans" didn't turn out so well for RoundUp.
frollogaston · 8h ago
Maybe if they do it in neighboring states, some of the mosquitos will fly over the border.
tonyedgecombe · 6h ago
Not if we build a wall, how high can mosquitoes fly?
chasil · 8h ago
"Recently, mosquitoes and mosquito-borne parasites have developed resistance to chemical treatments and antimalarial drugs."
This seems similar to phage therapy, in that the treatment continues to evolve along with the target.
The treatment in the above article is a fungus. "Despite being lethal to mosquitoes, the transgenic Metarhizium fungus is harmless in humans."
Funny that you mention phage therapy as the first person to implement desease-based pest control for bugs was Félix d'Hérelle, better known for having invented phage therapy a few years later.
His biography is definitely worth reading as his life was entertaining to say the least.
chasil · 3h ago
I upvoted you, and I think that was quite interesting.
pazimzadeh · 7h ago
I worked in Raymond St. Leger’s lab for a short time in college. I can pass along any questions you have, and will send him the link to this discussion.
davidhyde · 3h ago
> “ Unlike pesticides or other chemical control methods that mosquitoes can develop resistance to, this method uses the mosquitoes’ own biology to deliver the control agent.”
I don’t understand why mosquitos can develop resistance to chemicals but not a fungal infection, regardless of the delivery method. Can Raymond shed some light on this?
hyencomper · 3h ago
Great work! Does this method have any distinct advantages over infecting mosquitos with Wolbachia? Thank you.
moffkalast · 6h ago
Tell them to keep up the good work. The only good mosquito is a dead mosquito! I'm doing my part!
KennyBlanken · 6h ago
Except for all the living things that eat mosquitos, and which in turn get eaten by other things, or eat other pests besides mosquitos
autoexec · 6h ago
Is there any living thing that eats mosquitos and nothing else? There seems to be no shortage of other tiny flying insects in the world for critters to munch on.
bobbylarrybobby · 5h ago
“Is there any living person that eats rice and nothing else? There seems to be no shortage of other grains in the world for humans to munch on.”
Obviously then, eliminating rice would have catastrophic consequences.
moffkalast · 6h ago
They can eat something else, we can make them mosquito shaped dietary supplements if they want.
We've driven almost a thousand species to extinction so far, we ought to finally do one that actually deserves it.
littlestymaar · 6h ago
Mosquitoes aren't “one specie” though, but rather several thousands.
Also, most of their lives is spent as aquatic larvae, not flying pests.
ChrisMarshallNY · 7h ago
> “It’s essentially an arms race between the mosquitoes and us," says St. Leger. "Just as they keep adapting to what we create, we have to continuously develop new and creative ways to fight them,”
I just had a vision of Jeff Goldblum muttering something...
User23 · 8h ago
Next do ticks.
rickydroll · 8h ago
Yes, do ticks like the Asian Longhorn tick. Nasty little fuckers.
mont_tag · 3h ago
> Scientists genetically engineer a lethal mosquito STD to combat malaria
Nothing could possibly go wrong.
DrNosferatu · 2h ago
What could possibly go wrong?
thesnide · 2h ago
Nature always finds a way.
recursivedoubts · 7h ago
"when wintertime rolls around, the gorillas simply freeze to death"
I've been having some success with "mosquito dunks" in buckets here in Los Angeles but unless the neighbors do it to we still get bit
[1] https://www.glamosquito.org/2024-04-12-innovative-pilot-prog...
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2025/05/screwwor...
> This initiative introduces X-ray sterilized male mosquitoes in target areas as part of a Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) pilot program
It is highly unlikely that x-ray sterilized male mosquitos would cause a human plague similar to malaria.
The article has mosquitos "releasing toxic proteins in their semen". Seems like the sterilization is a much better option. "We promise it's not toxic to humans" didn't turn out so well for RoundUp.
This seems similar to phage therapy, in that the treatment continues to evolve along with the target.
The treatment in the above article is a fungus. "Despite being lethal to mosquitoes, the transgenic Metarhizium fungus is harmless in humans."
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2104592118
His biography is definitely worth reading as his life was entertaining to say the least.
I don’t understand why mosquitos can develop resistance to chemicals but not a fungal infection, regardless of the delivery method. Can Raymond shed some light on this?
Obviously then, eliminating rice would have catastrophic consequences.
We've driven almost a thousand species to extinction so far, we ought to finally do one that actually deserves it.
Also, most of their lives is spent as aquatic larvae, not flying pests.
I just had a vision of Jeff Goldblum muttering something...
Nothing could possibly go wrong.