• Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee
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    29 days ago

    Funny how much (actual scientific) debate is around mosquito extinction event whilst we are well into a mass extinction event we caused (not to mention all the direct and systemic ecosystem eradication such as marshlands of all sorts).

  • Soluna@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    29 days ago

    I think they researched this and found that literally no creature completely rely on mosquitos, and that if they were wiped out the power vaccum would be replaced by other small flying insects that are within the diets of the creatures that would otherwise eat mosquitoes. So yeah, there really isn’t anything stopping us from wiping them out. I say do it, and just keep some in a lab just in case if fucks stuff up. Or maybe more reasonably just modify them so they can’t suck human blood or pierce human skin, which I’m pretty sure we’re also already capable of.

    • Chloë (she/her)@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      29 days ago

      Or maybe dont eradicate them? They’ve been here for millions of years why do we feel like their existence is worthless because they bother us, I say, prevent them from carrying diseases instead…

      • 0laura@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        12 days ago

        mosquitos have killed more humans than any other animal or disease ever. you might change your mind about them if your child died due to them, but luckily you probably won’t ever have to experience that because of privilege.

        • Chloë (she/her)@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          11 days ago

          Ok girl, I get your point but I don’t think we should eradicate a whole species for our convenience, I’d rather we give the people access to healthcare so that the illnesses carried by mosquitoes don’t kill anymore.

          By the way I’m actually allergic to getting stung by these pests, if one decides to go for my neck I go to the ER.

          • 0laura@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            10 days ago

            doing something to save countless human lives isn’t doing something “for convenience”. also, “just give people access to healthcare”? how would you do that? there’s regions where people don’t even have clean drinking water. it’s simply not possible to just give all of humanity healthcare.

  • Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world
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    30 days ago

    Meh, the global ecosystem is fucked anyway. Might as well trim out the especially annoying bits and enjoy some relative comfort on our way to extinction. If doing so accelerates our downfall a bit, that’s a fair trade.

    I say it’s worth the risk.

    • FundMECFSResearch@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      29 days ago

      If cockroaches went extinct, there would actually be some pretty significant effects on ecosystems. They’re not just pests; they play a crucial role as decomposers. Cockroaches help break down dead organic matter—stuff like leaves, wood, and even dead animals. Without them, you’d start to see a buildup of this kind of waste, and the whole process of nutrient recycling would slow down. This matters because a lot of plants rely on nutrients that get released when organic material decomposes. If that process stalls, it could disrupt plant growth and soil health.

      Plus, cockroaches are food for a ton of animals—birds, reptiles, small mammals, and other insects all rely on them. If they disappeared, it would mess with food chains, potentially leading to population drops in species that depend on them. And let’s not forget, cockroaches are also tied into the microbial world. They carry microorganisms that help break down certain materials, so their extinction could mess with those processes too.

      So yeah, it’s easy to think the world would be better without them because they’re gross, but in reality, ecosystems would take a pretty big hit if cockroaches went extinct overnight.

  • Donjuanme@lemmy.world
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    30 days ago

    Mosquitos feed on apex predators and feed the nearly bottom of the food chain. Imo they’re up there with salmon in terms of nutrient transfer, absolutely would cause chaos at all levels if they were eliminated.

    • Tudsamfa@lemmy.world
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      29 days ago

      Uninformed take. First of, we are working on killing off only a few, malaria carrying Mosquito species in certain regions. Whatever niche they leave will be filled by another, possibly native species of Mosquito.

      2nd, nutrient transfer my butt, they carry like 1ml and that’s mostly water. You definitely transfer more nutrients by having some ants in your compost bin.

    • Overshoot2648@lemm.ee
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      30 days ago

      Well there’s like 30 species and only 4 that hurt humans, so mosquitoes can stay, but those specific 4 can die off.

      • frezik@midwest.social
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        29 days ago

        There’s one specific species that causes malaria. Getting rid of that particular one would probably do more good than harm. Their place on the food chain can be filled in by others.

        • Ephera@lemmy.ml
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          29 days ago

          But if they fill in the place in the food chain, that also means they need to be snacking on us.

          And I’m not just saying that to be a smart-ass. If humans were a different species, we’d call them horrendously invasive, awful for local ecosystems and that it’s really important that their numbers are kept in check, or whatever other euphemisms there are.
          No, I don’t want to suggest that we should leave humans to die, but we should be aware that it’s not as simple as just saving a few lives. We will run into different problems sooner rather than later.

    • Soup@lemmy.world
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      30 days ago

      “But bitey”

      If we could we’d try to kill algae and plankton for turning the oceans green and ruining our pictures. We’re not a smart group, us.

  • Wrench@lemmy.world
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    30 days ago

    Mosquitos are pollinators. And in some parts of the world that have extreme seasons that can’t sustain bees, they seem rather important to the ecosystem.

    Instead of eradicating them, genetically engineering away the numbing in their saliva that causes the allergic reaction in humans could be a solution.

    I’ll trade a couple weeks of itchy bites for a briefly painful bite any day.

    Sure, humans would kill them instantly on feeling the bite, but most animals are not capable of that. Their populations would be fine.

      • Lightfire228@pawb.social
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        29 days ago

        That’s why i want every mosquito to burn a thousand deaths. They absolutely feast on me

        Preventing the spread of disease is just a happy side effect