Mosquitoes are annoying critters that keep you from sleeping, or in worse cases transmit diseases. Wouldn't it be easier if all mosquitoes were simply eradicated?
There are more than 3000 mosquito species, only a few hundred of which sting humans. Exterminating all mosquitoes would mean killing many insects that do us no harm.
Do we really need mosquitoes? Opinions differ on this
Some scientists say it will have a big impact on the world if there are suddenly no more mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are part of the ecosystem. They pollinate plants and flowers and the mosquitoes are eaten by, for example, birds, fish, turtles and bats. In some places mosquitoes play a more important role than in others. If there were no more mosquitoes, other animal species would also be endangered.
Other scientists say it would make little difference. There are no animals that only live on mosquitoes. According to them, ecosystems would recover quickly if there were no more mosquitoes.
A world without mosquitoes will not become a reality for the time being, that's why we give you 8 tips to keep mosquitoes away from you. Research is being done into making viruses that mosquitoes transmit harmless. For example, research has been done into modifying the DNA of malaria mosquitoes so that they become harmless. Research has also recently been carried out in Wageningen
Would you like to live in a world without mosquitoes?
