Can Innovative Technologies Be the Mosquito Solution We Need?

Understanding why we hate mosquitoes doesn’t take a lot of thought. They are annoying, they carry disease, their bites can hurt and itch for days, and their presence is the quickest ruin to an outdoor party. The best way to get rid of them, on the other hand, does take some thought, planning, and sometimes work. Smelly bug repellent, plants that repel, candles and oil lamps with citronella… none of these are as effective or as pleasant as we would like them to be. Which has opened the door for Mosquito Squad to provide a barrier treatment for full property mosquito control? But aren’t there more options?

Science is trying to come to the rescue. Some new and amazing technology has us wondering if a world without the fight against mosquitoes might be somewhere on the horizon. These six high tech plans could change the way we deal with mosquitoes forever.

Malaria-Resistant Mosquitoes

Malaria is a HUGE problem in some countries, and while there are drugs to treat it, in the poorest of countries where it is the most prevalent, it is difficult to get the drugs to the people that need it. So scientists at Johns Hopkins University have decided to treat the mosquito instead of the people. By a method called gene editing, they are removing the gene in the mosquito that helps malaria survive within them. So basically malaria doesn’t live in the mosquito long enough to be transmitted to humans. Basic trials have shown this to be quite effective.

Photonic Fence

This one sounds quite like a science fiction movie, and while it hasn’t been seen as the newest latest greatest solution, it is still making its way around. This system rids us of mosquitoes by shooting them with laser beams. Yes… you read that correctly. The system detects the mosquito by the sound of its wings flapping and pretty much just takes it out. The lasers would attach to fences around an area, keeping about 99% of mosquitoes out of any chosen protected site. The visual here is a cross between an old western and a space tech movie. The US Commerce Department has shown interest in this technology, so who knows how it will change the future.

Mosquito App

At the University of Oxford, they are creating a phone app that can identify types of mosquitoes by the sounds they make. Currently, this app can identify the mosquitoes that carry malaria with 72% accuracy. While this app won’t rid us of dangerous disease-carrying mosquitoes, it can be very helpful in protecting us from them by its ability to identify them.

Drone Dumping

This one is certainly a questionable one, but WeRobotics thinks they have a great plan. Does adding more mosquitoes to the mix sound sketchy? They plan to breed sterile mosquitoes and then dump them via drone into areas with high mosquito activity. The large quantities will breed, outnumbering the wild non-sterile male mosquitoes, eventually wiping out the population by 90%. Wild but interesting concept.

Thunderstorm Simulating Wearables

Mosquitoes can be vicious, but they are also pretty small. You know how much your dog hates a thunderstorm, imagine a tiny little mosquito. It’s in their nature to hide from a storm and quit seeking a blood meal. What if they just think there is a storm coming? NopixGlobal has created a wristband that emits electromagnetic signals that make the mosquitoes think a storm is coming. This may not eliminate the pest, but it will keep it from biting you if you are wearing one. Sounds easy enough.

Genetically Engineered Killer Mosquitoes

MosquitoMate out of Kentucky has created a mosquito killing monster… in the form of a mosquito. Slightly brilliant, right? These mosquitoes, all male so they don’t bite, carry an insecticide that keeps eggs from hatching after these males mate with the females. So you release them into the wild and boom… mass mosquito genocide. The EPA has approved the method and testing is already happening.

Stick With the Tried and True Method for Mosquito Control

That’s 6 crazy, amazing, and maybe game-changing ways to get rid of mosquitoes, a task that would make this world a much healthier place. However, tried and true may be less scientific and yet it works every time. At Mosquito Squad of Chelmsford & Cambridge that’s exactly what we have for you. Our barrier treatment is proven to work! We will be thrilled to see these inventions work together to eventually eradicate mosquitoes and disease around the globe, but we can do that in your backyard today! Give us a call at (978) 381-4028 and let’s get started.