3 ms·
So one thing to keep in mind: it is estimated that half of all human beings who ever lived throughout human history were killed by mosquitoes. I understand you
by betwixthewires 6y ago
So one thing to keep in mind: it is estimated that half of all human beings who ever lived throughout human history were killed by mosquitoes.
I understand your argument, but at some point you have to say "I'm human, I care primarily about humans, I will do what it takes to help humans." At some point we get pragmatic, selfish, and we declare something our mortal enemy. I'd say the largest killer of human beings by orders of magnitude best qualifies. I say if we can eradicate mosquitoes that feed on humans we should do it.
The good news is that the plethora of ecosystems and niches in them that are filled and supported by mosquitoes is so rich with pathways that it is highly unlikely to cascade badly if they were eradicated. Particularly, we only target mosquito species that are disease vectors for human beings, and there are many many more mosquito species that target other animals or are not disease vectors for humans that those niches may very well be filled by other species of mosquitoes.