DMV governments need to release genetically modified mosquitoes

[Anonymous]

To wipe out their insane number of mosquitoes in this area. It's absolutely nuts. You can't even go outside for months at a time without getting torn up from mosquitoes in the DMV. It is getting worse and it is intolerable. Worse yet, the DMV infested with Asian Tiger mosquitoes, which are 1000x worse. How can we lobby for local governments to work together to release genetically modified mosquitoes that will inbreed with the mosquito populations and render them sterile?

What's the other alternative? Spray tons of chemicals kill pollinators? Or continue to do nothing and allow highly invasive non native species of mosquitoes in this area to keep thriving and ruin all of our quality of life? On top of that, Asian tiger mosquitoes are a significant risk for many types of vector borne illnesses. That are a grave threat to public health. Why aren't governments doing anything about it?

It is so bad now we are contemplating on leaving because the mosquitoes make it not possible to live for almost 5-6 months out of the year.

[Anonymous]

Florida did this in the Everglades and/or in the keys. I remember seeing the signs. I can’t imagine this is going to end well.

[Anonymous]

Have you watched Jurassic Park? I don’t think genetically modified mosquitoes are the solution.

One thing that does help is making your yard really mosquito-predator friendly. Bats, dragon flies, birds, all eat mosquitoes. Lots of native plants, a pond with mosquito dunks in it. It truly helps.

The mosquito bucket traps work too - look them up.

Finally, bug spray. Just make it a habit when you go outside.

[Anonymous]

Yes eradicate mosquitoes and paper wasps forever. I am fine with tax dollars going towards this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Florida did this in the Everglades and/or in the keys. I remember seeing the signs. I can’t imagine this is going to end well.

Why? It is science. The GMO skeeters have been around and released for years. The end of the world did not happen.

Even if Asian Tiger mosquitoes went extinct it wouldn't matter. They are not native to the US.

What should we do then? Spray tons of chemicals and poison our water and bees? Nothing and allow stuff like Zika to spread?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you watched Jurassic Park? I don’t think genetically modified mosquitoes are the solution.

One thing that does help is making your yard really mosquito-predator friendly. Bats, dragon flies, birds, all eat mosquitoes. Lots of native plants, a pond with mosquito dunks in it. It truly helps.

The mosquito bucket traps work too - look them up.

Finally, bug spray. Just make it a habit when you go outside.

You do know that that was a work of fiction, right?

Science isn't that scary. Vaccines work, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you watched Jurassic Park? I don’t think genetically modified mosquitoes are the solution.

One thing that does help is making your yard really mosquito-predator friendly. Bats, dragon flies, birds, all eat mosquitoes. Lots of native plants, a pond with mosquito dunks in it. It truly helps.

The mosquito bucket traps work too - look them up.

Finally, bug spray. Just make it a habit when you go outside.

Those only help minorly. I've done the mosquito buckets. They barely put a dent in the population. Birds, bats, etc..barely help. The Asian tiger mosquito breeds so rapidly and easily that no native predators can control the population.

[Anonymous]

Years ago, I read this long but engrossing article in Smithsonian Magazine about the potential for neutering and/or eradicating mosquitoes and whether or not we should. Maybe I'm a science nerd, but it was a fascinating read. It looks like they've done some trials since this piece was published eight years ago but I don't know the results of those trials. (As a side note, the mosquito has, by far, killed more humans than any other animal on earth.)

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/kill-all-mosquitos-180959069/#:~:text=In%20Oxitec's%20program%2C%20male%20larvae,die%20before%20they%20can%20reproduce.

[Anonymous]

YES.

I’m a geneticist and I agree.

[Anonymous]

Do we have a malaria problem I don't know about?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do we have a malaria problem I don't know about?

https://dchealth.dc.gov/page/mosquito-borne-diseases

[Anonymous]

We should go back to spraying neighborhoods and parks like in the 70s. When we went to all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean, it was amazing. We were not exposed to any mosquitoes as they sprayed routinely for comfort.

[Anonymous]

Asian tiger mozzies can transmit dengue fever and is blamed for the rise in dengue fever in Europe where it is currently in 13 countries.

In Australia, they have practically eradicated dengue fever by releasing mosquitoes infected with the Wolbachia bacteria. It's a different type of mosquito but I wonder whether there might be a similar solution for the Asian tiger mosquito.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do we have a malaria problem I don't know about?

https://dchealth.dc.gov/page/mosquito-borne-diseases

DC reporting a lot of cases of dengue fever?

[Anonymous]

I use mosquito dunkers in containers of water.

Works well.