Are Mosquitoes Good For the Environment?
WouterDespite their widespread distribution and ubiquity, there is little agreement among biologists about whether mosquitoes are good for the environment. They are considered to be effective disease vectors, and their abundance can lead to an overpopulation that can starve or kill animals.
In addition to their ability to transmit diseases, mosquitoes are important pollinators. They find flowers by vision or by odour. They then transfer pollen from one flower to another. They can also be a source of food for birds, mammals and insects.
However, the role of mosquitoes as pollinators is often overlooked. Some species of mosquitoes are only blood-suckers. Others are pollinators, feeding on plant sugar and other nutrients. Some insect predators, including bats, feed on adult mosquitoes, while other organisms, like ants, harvest their honeydew.
The presence of mosquitoes is associated with several human diseases, including malaria, yellow fever and dengue fever. These diseases are responsible for more than one million deaths each year. If all of the mosquitoes carrying these diseases were eradicated, the world would have a more sanitary environment. The loss of these diseases could reduce absenteeism from schools and hospitals, and free up resources for other health issues.
Scientists have been studying changes in the biodiversity of mosquitoes in Eastern Ontario. Their work has shown that environmental changes are affecting the complexity of mosquito ecology.
The National Microbiology Laboratory conducts research on the mosquitoes that carry diseases. This includes collecting reliable data on the types of mosquitoes that are found in specific areas. The NML also performs environmental surveillance to monitor mosquitoes and their spread.
