Researchers unleash genophage on...mosquitoes

[Pinstar]

Just to clarify, the company is still doing field tests. They intend to bring it to both tropical areas (to combat disease) and developed areas as an alternative to pesticides. However the US currently has no laws enabling them to operate.

I have a feeling they'll be observing these early tests, such as the Cayman islands, to see what environmental impact the lack of mosquitoes have

 

[NightHawk21]

Bastards my group suggested this as a method of counteracting the spread of invasive species here in Ontario (not mosquitos) and our instructors gave us a 70% and said it wasn't possible.

 

[Irridium]

On one hand, I'm not too hot on the idea with fucking with nature.

On the other hand, mosquito's are massive pains in the ass and I wouldn't exactly mourn their passing. Or their reduction.

We've been doing it for thousands of years. Does anybody miss the dodo? Have insulin producing bacteria taken over? Nope. Well, some people probably miss the dodo because they'd make for some great memes.

Well, weren't the Dodo limited to, like, one island or something? They're extinction didn't really affect the ecosystem because they were, well, kinda worthless. Mosquitoes are worldwide, and before we limit them we should probably think about how it could change things.

Unless they don't really do anything other than annoy people. In which case I'm all for the idea.

 

[Chamale]

Mosquitoes have a unique and important role in filtering standing water, and also provide prey for many insects, arachnids, and birds. Any plan to eliminate malaria mosquitoes would have to replace them with a similar species, but one that wouldn't spread the malaria parasite.

 

[gCrusher]

Let's just hope that in the future, we don't need mosquitoes to fight the Rachni

Hmm, let's hope this doesn't cause any unforeseeable environmental problems.

Nah, we'll do what the Salarians did and just give nukes to a lower species. Since this earth, I believe that would be monkeys.

Incorrect. The answer we were looking for was Lawyers. Thanks for playing, Robin has some nice parting gifts...

 

[Hashandir]

I'm inclined to agree with people before (at the time of posting anyway), fucking nature just because we find it annoying in some way is a horrible idea. Not that it is new for us as a species to kill/maim/or to otherwise meddle in nature's affairs. On the other hand, I _do_ live in a country infested with those little, bloodsucking buggers, so...

 

[electric_warrior]

Whatever eats mosquitoes, swallows or other birds I guess, will suffer. This isn't a good idea. Genetically engineering them so as to make them not carry malaria would be better.

But then, the population in African nations is already exploding, if mosquitoes were gone it would skyrocket. It sounds cold, but just think: if they already can't support the populations they have (the current crisis in the East of the continent being a prime example) how are they going to support even more people? Famines and droughts would be even worse.

 

[conflictofinterests]

as far as I'm aware mosquitoes are simply parasites and don't contribute much to the ecosystem, but I could be wrong. I think most things that eat them also eat other bugs, so any species affected should be able to adapt.

I'm all for this. Kill those buggers

Well, things that eat mosquitoes would have a lot fewer bugs to eat, most likely initially crushing the numbers of other prey, and then resulting in a drop in the numbers of mosquito predators. It's a very drastic thing to affect the numbers of a species like this.

 

[Ghengis John]

On one hand, I'm not too hot on the idea with fucking with nature.

On the other hand, mosquito's are massive pains in the ass and I wouldn't exactly mourn their passing. Or their reduction.

We've been doing it for thousands of years. Does anybody miss the dodo? Have insulin producing bacteria taken over? Nope. Well, some people probably miss the dodo because they'd make for some great memes.

Nobody misses the Dodo because nobody knew the dodo. They had hearts of gold.

On a serious note they probably woulda made great pets. It's a flightless bird that's cute and friendly. Yeah if they were still around they'ed probably be some kind of niche pet.

But if they become extinct we'll lose our wildlife park status and we'll be invaded by aliens!

My favorite part of that movie.

 

[electric_warrior]

Spoiler

I really wish I had left that fucking light switch alone. Who would have thought the flick of a switch could mean the difference between life and death. Actually everyone?s thought that. That?s why I turned it on. Stupid little rituals that we take from childhood. The light will chase the monsters away, the blanket over your head will save you from the boogie man. And you just get more of these rituals as you get older. As long as you lock the doors and turn on the home security system, you can rest your head happily in your cozy little fortified home. No killers or psychos, monsters or boogie men.

But it doesn?t work. None of it. We always slip up some how. The one time you forget to lock that door. That?s when they get you. I would have been sound asleep if I hadn?t been woken by the loud slam as the front door blew open. I stumbled out of bed and down the hall to see it swinging back and forth. I moved quickly down the hall to secure it. A moment of panic swelled inside of me. My home felt like a crime scene. It wasn?t my safe little sanctum anymore.

Despite the overwhelming feeling of intrusion, there was no sign of disruption. Just the door. Just my careless mistake. I couldn?t comprehend it at first. It had to be a burgler or some psycho. I looked around the rest of the house. Checking every cupboard, every crevice. Nothing. I felt stupid but relieved. I just wanted to get back to bed, to forget this whole embarrassment. I flung myself back down on my bed, closed my eyes for just a second. I sat back up. There was no way I?d fall asleep unless I double-checked that I locked the door this time. I mean I was sure I had done it this time but I felt this was justified paranoia.

I got to the door and twisted the handle roughly about a dozen times, each time feeling the resistance of the lock. I smiled. Safe. I turned on my heels to go back to bed. But it was just a glimpse, a flicker of something in my peripheral vision that sent me swinging back into a panic. A shadow from the kitchen. I rushed in only to be confronted by my normal kitchen, bathed in moonlight. I sighed, questioned my sanity and decided that this, the longest night of my life must end. I went towards the bedroom once more. Another odd shadow crossed my path. As a shiver travelled down my spine, my tired mind braced apathetic denial and decided that it was probably the neighbours cat passing by the moonlit window.

I sat wide awake in my bed. Trying to lull myself to sleep. Counting in my head until I might eventually nod off. But everytime I closed my eyes that feeling of intrusion was still there. The hands of something unseen looming above my head. Every creak and every shadow filled my mind with the dread of my childhood. Those nights after being tucked in by my parents. Those same fearful thoughts of lurking terror. But it was nothing? right? More creaks. More movement in the shadows. I turned and pushed my face into the pillow. I felt something brush passed my foot which stuck awkwardly out from under my blanket.

I jolted upright, looking deeply into the darkness. Swirling shadows. The monsters. The boogie men. I felt around sheepishly for my phone. The dull light of the screen could put me at ease. Nothing on the nightstand and when my fingers roamed around the edge of the bed, instinctively I retracted them for fear of the unknown. I was alone but in the shadows I saw them, the monsters. Inky abominable beasts.

It was the only thing I thought could help me. I lunged from the bed directly at the switch. My palm slammed down on it and the room erupted into light. My eyes burned momentarily and I glanced round the room. Empty. Safe. Just paranoia. I shook my head and hit the switch once more. Climbing into bed in the pitch black. No shadows without my nightvision. But now I hear them. I can?t see them now. I don?t know what they want but I know I can?t leave. The rituals have failed. They?re on the other side of this blanket and all I can do now is hope that they?re gone in the morning.

//
Credited to Chris Stewart

I think you're in the wrong thread, this is the one about mosquitoes. You seem to have posted a ghost story.

 

[Synek]

While they're at it cant they do it to black flies and horse flies.
They top my most hated things on this planet list.

 

[Nudu]

Make one of these for iberia slugs, please. Extinct those fuckers!

 

[thedoclc]

This is one of many ideas being used to control malaria, dengue, yellow fever, and so on.

Another kind I've seen in the journals is genetically engineering the females to be flightless. As only the females take blood meals, this would essentially cripple the vector for a whole host of diseases.

Now, consider that malaria claims two million lives per year (which, given the low mortality rate, means many more illnesses and suffering), dengue claims maybe 50k annually with dengue hemorrhagic fever, etc...

Yeah. This is a great thing.

 

[rednose1]

A while back, I would've gone along with this idea, but read elsewhere how they are breeding GM mosquitoes that can't carry the malaria virus. Think that's a better idea. Like them or not, mosquitoes serve SOME function, and if some creature wasn't needed at all, nature would most likely have gotten rid of it on its own.

 

[Thaius]

Unless mosquitoes are secretly vital to the basic workings of nature, good. I can't imagine they are the sole food source for any other species or anything, so I say kill 'em all. Stupid little buggers being so annoying and useless.

 

[David Hebda]

Mosquitoes are eaten by hundreds of different creatures, reducing their population by 80% could be devasting on the environment. Of course it might be completely fine but I think it's a bad idea.

Actually if you read one of the linked artistic it talks about the effect of eliminating all mosquitoes, and really, the best they could come up with is, well... all the scientists endorsed it, they say that no where does the Mosquito do a job something else doesn't do better (including being food) except of course killing people.

"They don't occupy an unassailable niche in the environment," says entomologist Joe Conlon, of the American Mosquito Control Association in Jacksonville, Florida. "If we eradicated them tomorrow, the ecosystems where they are active will hiccup and then get on with life. Something better or worse would take over." - Ecology: A world without Mosquitoes; Nature News

 

[Amphoteric]

Nature will adapt once they are gone.

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

Wasps please. Hateful little fucks. I can deal with mosquitos, they're an annoyance but nothing special in the West.

Wasps on the other hand. Fuck 'em, meanspirited little yellow bastards. They contribute nothing but pain and misery.

 

[inFAMOUSCowZ]

I never thought these things did much for the world. So get rid of them, and while we're at it get we get rid of the New Jersey population as well? Since they are clearly a new type of species. Short, fat, orange, douche baggy-ness.

 

[Norendithas]

Wasps please. Hateful little fucks. I can deal with mosquitos, they're an annoyance but nothing special in the West.

Wasps on the other hand. Fuck 'em, meanspirited little yellow bastards. They contribute nothing but pain and misery.

And horrible school mascots.

OT:Another point for Humanity! I hate the pests.

The fish can suck on some other insect's larvae!