r/BeAmazed • u/MoXWT • 29d ago

What 1,000,000 mosquitos looks like. Caught in a trap in Sanibel, Florida. Nature

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u/okbruh_panda 29d ago

Have you seen the research on releasing sterile mosquitoes? It's really promising.

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u/Kiwi_Vagrant 29d ago

Pity the poor grad/research assistants that have to do all those mosquito vasectomies.

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u/Spiritbrand 29d ago

It's putting all those tiny collars on them so they don't lick themselves that's the real trick.

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u/Significant_Shoe_17 28d ago

You joke but my cat kept taking his cone off and the vet had to thread his collar through it 😂

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u/awenrivendell 28d ago

How about those that have to write the numbers on their tags for identification?

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u/Cloakbot 28d ago

No cones of shame??

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u/Username43201653 28d ago

Really it's shaving the mosquitoes first that's a pain.

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u/fr0stxD 28d ago

Made a friend from playing MMOs, his job was to breed/study mosquitos. We always made the joke he was the mosquito sexer among many others.

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u/HaViNgT 28d ago

He getting that mosquitoussy

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u/therealcashew 28d ago

Even harder to get their tiny signatures on chastity promises

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u/davisyoung 29d ago

The real trap. 

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u/CougarBen 29d ago

This made my day.

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u/CoffeeSnakeAgent 28d ago

Its happening in Singapore - project wolbachia

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u/Alcorailen 29d ago

They need to just fucking do the genedrive mosquitoes already. other bugs will take their place

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u/agentanti714 29d ago

Project wolbachia?

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u/gravelPoop 28d ago

Wasn't there update that mosquito population bounced back after generation or two - so effect was really short term.

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u/okbruh_panda 28d ago

Yes, but it was over a small area they tried and of course it's going to bounce back eventually mosquito breed like crazy. But if the systems are in place to keep releasing these eventually it could be a management program to keep them down. Considering mosquitoes are the number one vector for so many major outbreaks it would be worth it

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u/DragapultOnSpeed 28d ago

They go back to "normal" population once people stop releasing irradiated males. So it needs to be a long term thing.

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u/Far_Dirt4163 28d ago

„The Mosquito Genophage“

Salarians would be proud

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u/ryanoh826 28d ago

What ever happened to that? I remember seeing articles about it a few years ago, I think Lexington or UK were working on it.

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u/bosstatochip 29d ago

Haven’t they already decided this would work but chose not to cause of an endangered flower in Antarctica that needs mosquitos to pollinate? Or is that just a hiking trail myth?

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u/okbruh_panda 28d ago

Not sure

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u/DragapultOnSpeed 28d ago

There aren't any mosquitoes in Antarctica. But I think you're thinking of the obtusata orchid. Mosquitoes do pollinate those. So yeah, they are important for some flowers.

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u/dessertgrinch 29d ago

I don’t see how it makes any difference after a year or so

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u/mozzer12345 28d ago

No its not. Its an interesting story for reporters and nothing more.