Scientists have developed a brilliant mosquito repellent. Is this the end of the problem?
Mosquitoes have been a big nuisance for years. So far, in Poland we have mainly dealt with bites, which is the smallest problem caused by these insects. However, ongoing human-induced climate change may bring us much worse problems. But scientists may have found a way to reduce this threat.
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Mosquito “bites” themselves are quite a nuisance, especially for children. Interestingly, mosquitoes do not bite at all, but puncture our skin and suck blood through this hole. But contrary to appearances, this is the least of our worries. In countries with warmer climates, these insects are the carrier of diseases such as dengue, yellow fever and the Zika virus. Hence, for years people have been trying to find a way to at least reduce the number of these insects in their area. Now, Researchers from the USA showed a method that is a very non-standard, but also effective solution.
Deaf to love
Many remedies have been tried over the years – from household slippers that chase mosquitoes around the house to chemicals. The latter, however, often had a negative impact on humans as well. However, researchers from the University of California in Santa Barbara in the USA focused on physics. Using sound waves, they decided to stun the male mosquitoes. Effect? It was harder for insects to find a breeding partner.
How did this happen? It’s all because of the mating dance of mosquitoes. It takes place during the flight of insects, and the male looks for the female, listening to the buzzing of her wings. However, when researchers from the USA studied Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which – according to the website Naukawpolsce.pl – transmit dengue and yellow fever viruses to hundreds of millions of people every year, and they changed their gene that seemed to be responsible for hearing, mosquitoes stopped hearing the intoxicating buzzing of their partners. While passing them for three days, the males did not make physical contact with the females located next to them in a closed container.
This will ultimately result in a lack of offspring, which may ultimately lead to the extinction of mosquitoes. Although the history of evolution teaches us that sometimes nature can bypass existing barriers to maintaining the existence of a species. However, this solution certainly looks extremely attractive. However, before you open the champagne, it is worth knowing that eliminating mosquitoes does not necessarily have to be good for us. The diseases they carry may disappear, but mosquitoes are an extremely important part of the food chain and, in some cases, also act as plant pollinators. Their absence could lead to a significant disruption of the economy in nature. The use of the new method will therefore require a serious analysis of the effects of this solution.
