# What good are mosquitoes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 9, 2005, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-are-mosquitoes/325457 "2005-10-09T22:49:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GrahamWellington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/54ee81/32.png) [@GrahamWellington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrahamWellington)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2005, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-are-mosquitoes/325457/1 "2005-10-09T22:49:10Z")
All they do is create pure hell for other living creatures, and often they carry deadly diseases. In Alaska, moose and elk will often go into lakes with their noses just barely out of the water due to these worthless insects tormenting them when they become too great in numbers. Of course, one might say that they are part of the balance of nature, but I would be willing to take a chance at upsetting the balance (and I doubt it really would) if someone would come up with a means to rid the entire earth of these terrible things! Any comments? P.S. If it ever does happen that humanity finds a weapon to eradicate them, then I suggest that the vicious deer fly be next on the list. They’re so mean! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2005, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-are-mosquitoes/325457/2 "2005-10-09T22:53:18Z")
I’ve often wondered what ecological niches are filled by mosquitos and fleas. Food for other organisms? Okay, I can buy that. But that role can be filled by non-offensive insects. So yeah. What good do they do? ---
**Author:** ![Giant\_Spongess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@Giant\_Spongess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giant_Spongess)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2005, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-are-mosquitoes/325457/3 "2005-10-09T22:54:29Z")
Mosquitos are a major food source for several insectivores, specifically because they breed in such quantities. Also, I believe that the males also pollinate some plants (since they only eat plant nectars) but I’m not sure. Taking out mosquitos would be like taking out any other species: not a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2005, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-are-mosquitoes/325457/4 "2005-10-09T22:54:42Z")
well…nope, um…how about - nothing. I can’t think of anything. The nasty little bastards even land on me and I swell up like a balloon. This summer was so bad, I actually had to get a prescription to make the itching and throbbing pain go away. If I ever to become a scientist, I’ll make the eradication of mosquitos my focus. Of course, with my luck - I’ll end up completing the _Mimic_ trilogy :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2005, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-are-mosquitoes/325457/5 "2005-10-09T22:57:16Z")
They feed a lot of birds, otherwise they just Suck. Pun intended ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2005, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-are-mosquitoes/325457/6 "2005-10-09T23:15:26Z")
They make good food for my tarantula spiderlings. ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-are-mosquitoes/325457/7 "2005-10-10T00:18:48Z")
No good, but then, What good are: viruses serial killers Bubonic Plague Hitler vampires cancer etc, etc, etc Mosquitoes are a damned pain, all right, but in the scheme of things, there are a lot worse. Get bug repellant. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ryobserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@ryobserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryobserver)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-are-mosquitoes/325457/8 "2005-10-10T00:37:43Z")
I can’t think of any use of mosquitoes, or a lot of other creatures, actually (tapeworms and lice, to name two). But then I thought, what use are humans, to most other life forms? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-are-mosquitoes/325457/9 "2005-10-10T00:41:45Z")
> [@Giant\_Spongess](#): > > Mosquitos are a major food source for several insectivores, specifically because they breed in such quantities. Mainly bats. Insectivorous bats are very likely the largest consumers of mosquitos. Of course, those same bats eat lots of other insects. I know of none which feed _exclusively_ on mosquitos. Also mosquito larvae are food for any number of aquatic, semiaquatic and amphibious creatures inclduind fish and the larvae of other insects. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-are-mosquitoes/325457/10 "2005-10-10T00:43:29Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > I’ve often wondered what ecological niches are filled by mosquitos and fleas. Food for other organisms? Okay, I can buy that. But that role can be filled by non-offensive insects. > > So yeah. What good do they do? Filling a niche may consist of merely exploiting available resources and serviing no purpose useful to anything outside of the organism itself. It may be that mosquitoes provide food for other animals, but they certainly _don’t want to_ - i.e. they don’t exist _for that reason_; being suitable for someone else’s dinner is, on the whole, a negative selection factor. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-are-mosquitoes/325457/11 "2005-10-10T01:21:41Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > It may be that mosquitoes provide food for other animals, but they certainly _don’t want to_ - i.e. they don’t exist _for that reason_… If you want to go that route then no organism, including humans, exist for _any_ reason other than they are able to do so. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-are-mosquitoes/325457/12 "2005-10-10T01:32:38Z")
Their Mommies love them. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-are-mosquitoes/325457/13 "2005-10-10T05:53:51Z")
[Would Are Eco System be Ok If We Extincted Mosquitos?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=83579) ---
**Author:** ![Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazon_Floozy_Goddess)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-are-mosquitoes/325457/14 "2005-10-10T05:57:21Z")
Dragonflies feed on mosquitoes. I like dragonflies. They be purty. If skeeters were extincted, dragonflies would suffer…I would be sad. ---
**Author:** ![jimpatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9e5f3/32.png) [@jimpatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimpatro)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-are-mosquitoes/325457/15 "2005-10-10T07:14:09Z")
The OP wreaks of spiritualism. Not everything happens for a reason. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-are-mosquitoes/325457/16 "2005-10-10T08:02:28Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > If you want to go that route then no organism, including humans, exist for _any_ reason other than they are able to do so. Sure, why not? That doesn’t mean there are not still reasons why some things are the way they are; cherries, for example are good to eat because _they want to be eaten_ - eggs are good to eat, but they _don’t want to be eaten_. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-are-mosquitoes/325457/17 "2005-10-10T14:43:57Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > That doesn’t mean there are not still reasons why some things are the way they are; cherries, for example are good to eat because _they want to be eaten_ - eggs are good to eat, but they _don’t want to be eaten_. Perhaps you misunderstand. I agree with you. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-are-mosquitoes/325457/18 "2005-10-10T20:44:12Z")
> [@Amazon Floozy Goddess](#): > > Dragonflies feed on mosquitoes. > > I like dragonflies. They be purty. > > If skeeters were extincted, dragonflies would suffer…I would be sad. Take some damn zoloft. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-are-mosquitoes/325457/19 "2005-10-10T21:05:07Z")
Their buzzing in my ear and sucking out my blood while passing parasites to me comforts me when I get scared looking up at the sky at night.