# Do mosquitoes provide any UNIQUE good to the planet? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 19, 2016, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mosquitoes-provide-any-unique-good-to-the-planet/746540 "2016-02-19T11:52:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2016, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mosquitoes-provide-any-unique-good-to-the-planet/746540/21 "2016-02-20T22:50:52Z")
While we’re on the subject of [mosquitoes](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/mosquito-spreading-zika-has-long-been-one-of-the-worlds-most-efficient-killers/2016/02/19/b4ace548-d5a9-11e5-9823-02b905009f99_story.html). From the Washington Post- > [@](#): > > It’s one of the most relentless stalkers on Earth, using a tiny, needle-like probe to sip its victims’ blood. It dines almost exclusively on humans and never ventures far from where they live, laying eggs in bottle caps, used tires and flower pots. It fits easily onto a single fingernail and yet has tormented armies and obliterated the population of entire cities. ---
**Author:** ![Memnon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Memnon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Memnon)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2016, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mosquitoes-provide-any-unique-good-to-the-planet/746540/22 "2016-02-20T23:02:17Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > Really want to go double-or-nothing on more species? Yeah, actually. Fuck mosquitos. They kill about half a million people a year, mostly kids. Fuck 'em right in the blood-pipe. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2016, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mosquitoes-provide-any-unique-good-to-the-planet/746540/23 "2016-02-20T23:21:56Z")
A few years ago, I read about an idea to use a small, lower-powered laser and computing technology to zap mosquitoes and only mosquitoes. So this would be much more targeted and with less collateral damage than a pesticide. [This article](http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/aerospace/military/laser-bug-zapper-inches-to-market-) says the technology might soon be commercialized. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2016, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mosquitoes-provide-any-unique-good-to-the-planet/746540/24 "2016-02-20T23:37:52Z")
Of course mosquitoes provide great benefit. All species do. But why would you suppose that they provide their benefit to we humans? No, mosquitoes’ purpose is to benefit mosquitoes. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2016, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mosquitoes-provide-any-unique-good-to-the-planet/746540/25 "2016-02-21T00:36:21Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Of course mosquitoes provide great benefit. All species do. But why would you suppose that they provide their benefit to we humans? No, mosquitoes’ purpose is to benefit mosquitoes. Cite? I couldn’t find one. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2016, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mosquitoes-provide-any-unique-good-to-the-planet/746540/26 "2016-02-21T05:08:31Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Of course mosquitoes provide great benefit. All species do. But why would you suppose that they provide their benefit to we humans? No, mosquitoes’ purpose is to benefit mosquitoes. Attack of the blood-sucking grammar mosquitos!!! It should be: “But why would you suppose that they provide their benefit to **us** humans?” (Object of a preposition.) (Sorry, **Chronos**. Sometimes I just can’t resist.) ---
**Author:** ![davida03801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@davida03801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davida03801)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2016, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mosquitoes-provide-any-unique-good-to-the-planet/746540/27 "2016-02-21T11:33:25Z")
Beware of the effects of unintended consequences. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mosquitoes-provide-any-unique-good-to-the-planet/746540.md?page=1)