They buzz, they bite, they itch, and they’re roundly hated anywhere you go. Mosquitoes are often looked at as unwelcome part of subtropical living, but scientists in Florida say they have found a way to use the insects to help protect people from deadly disease. The Miami-Dade County Mosquito Control and Habitat Management Division is releasing millions of mosquitoes infected with bacteria that will curb the insect’s population. The lab-bred males are infected with Wolbachia, bacteria officials said is not harmful to humans. The good news, Lab Bred Male Mosquitoes to be Released to Fight Growing Population.
The bacteria will prevent any mosquitoes produced when the non-biting males mate with wild females from surviving to adulthood, authorities said. “Those matings when they take place, none of the progeny survive, “Miami-Dade County Mosquito Control Director William Petrie told WPLG-TV.
Preventing the offspring from surviving will help drive down the population of mosquitoes that can spread Zika, dengue fever, and chikungunya fever, authorities said.
Scientists expect to have released two-thirds of a billion male mosquitoes by July.
And as the public waits for the program to take effect on the blood sucker’s population, there are ways that people can avoid the annoying biters on their own.
Though many people are allergic to it, DEET. It’s the active ingredient in many spray repellants like OFF, Cutter and Repel, which all worked in fighting off the mosquitos. None of a group of test subjects exposed to mosquitoes got a single bite with DEET applied
The group then tried two anti-bug bracelets, which claim to repel mosquitos by releasing a natural, plant-based ingredient called geraniol.
With the bracelets on and their arms in the testing cages, it didn’t take long before several mosquitos began to land and feed on the volunteers.
Many homeowners swear by Citronella candles, especially for outdoor cookouts. To see how effective they are, Bernier released 500 mosquitos into a special outdoor cage while McLravy lit a single candle.
As the flame flickered, mosquitos began to land on both their faces and arms. Experts say Citronella is effective, but multiple candles must be used to cover the area you are trying to protect.
