Good Question: What Good Do Mosquitoes Do?
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- They are considered the most deadly animal in the world. According to the Gates Foundation, mosquitos kill three-quarters of a million people primarily through malaria, yellow fever, and dengue fever every year.
So, that has Nancy from Northfield wanting to know: What good do mosquitos do?
"Everything has its value, this one is just tougher to see," says Jeff Hahn, an entomologist with the University of Minnesota.
Mosquitos are a good food source for some creatures. Some birds, bats and dragonflies eat mosquito. Some fish also feed on mosquito larvae.
"They're not usually an important part of the diet, but a part of it," says Mike McLean, spokesperson for the Minnesota Mosquito Control District. "You want to make it as easy as you can for other creatures to have food."
Some mosquitos also act as pollinators because they feed on sugars and nectars, but McLean says they aren't important pollinators.
Not all mosquitos are what could be considered bad, annoying or dangerous. McLean says less than half of Minnesota's 51 mosquito species bite humans. Only two or three here in the state transmit the West Nile virus. But, worldwide, there are 3500 species of mosquitos. According to the Centers for Disease Control, thirty to forty of them transmit malaria.
"There's an awful lot of work being done to try to eradicate or modify mosquitos that spread diseases like malaria and dengue fever and getting rid of those mosquitos of probably a goal worth pursuing," McLean said.
Most experts push for getting rid of specific species of mosquitos rather the entire insect. Ridding the planet of mosquitos would be a virtually impossible task.
"Because sometimes you don't know what would happen," McLean said. "The system is very complicated and if you completely eliminate something, you might think it's a great idea, but you don't really know down the line what you might be affecting."
