# What would happen if mosquitoes became extinct? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 20, 2003, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-mosquitoes-became-extinct/176357 "2003-05-20T18:32:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WeRSauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f19dbf/32.png) [@WeRSauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WeRSauron)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-mosquitoes-became-extinct/176357/1 "2003-05-20T18:32:42Z")
The discussion on the usefulness of mosquitoes reminds me of a question that has always pestered me - **what would happen if mosquitoes became extinct?** Now, the possibility of these spawn from Hell becoming extinct are quite, quite low (unless there’s a major ice age or something). Nevetheless, it never hurts to wish. So, how much would the world’s ecosystems and human life change if these creatures (to be generous) were extincted? WRS ---
**Author:** ![WeRSauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f19dbf/32.png) [@WeRSauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WeRSauron)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-mosquitoes-became-extinct/176357/2 "2003-05-20T18:35:39Z")
Change the first part of the sentence to :“The discussion of the usefulness of cockroaches . . .” This refers to this thread: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=184875](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=184875) WRS ---
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-mosquitoes-became-extinct/176357/3 "2003-05-20T18:43:24Z")
If it ever comes to a vote I think I know how this one will turn out regardless of the consequences. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ivar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ivar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ivar)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-mosquitoes-became-extinct/176357/4 "2003-05-20T18:46:03Z")
Mosquitoes do provide massive quantities of protein for the world bat population. Which is why I don’t mind bats. ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-mosquitoes-became-extinct/176357/5 "2003-05-20T19:05:31Z")
Mosquitoes, like it or not, are a good species to have around. They are pollenators. Their larvae are food for many species of fish and amphibians. In addition to being eaten by bats, as the above poster noted, mosquitoes are also a food source of many birds, such as purple martins. [More Info](http://www.homestead.com/ipmofalaska/files/mosquitoes.html#benefits) Don’t get me wrong - the mosquito population must be controlled in order to reduce malaria, encephalitus, west nile, etc. infections. But they do play a benefitial purpose overall. Now FLEAs on the other hand… ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-mosquitoes-became-extinct/176357/6 "2003-05-20T23:44:49Z")
> [@](#): > > Now FLEAs on the other hand… …are responsible for controlling ahuge range of species, primarily as disease vectors. ---
**Author:** ![AtomicDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@AtomicDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AtomicDog)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-mosquitoes-became-extinct/176357/7 "2003-05-21T03:52:12Z")
::imagining me pushing button causing extinction of every mosquito on Earth:: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Richard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Richard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-mosquitoes-became-extinct/176357/8 "2003-05-21T13:24:57Z")
Back in the 50’s or so, there was a campaign to eliminate malaria by killing all the mosquitoes that carry it, using DDT. This was aborted when the other effects of the DDT were found to be worse than the mosquitoes. I don’t know if anyone thought about what other side-effects there might be from eliminating the mosquitoes. ---
**Author:** ![Another\_Clone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e9a140/32.png) [@Another\_Clone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Another_Clone)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-mosquitoes-became-extinct/176357/9 "2003-05-21T14:06:17Z")
If mosquitoes became extinct, malaria would suffer. ---
**Author:** ![Paradigm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Paradigm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paradigm)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-mosquitoes-became-extinct/176357/10 "2003-05-21T14:09:23Z")
Arguing for mosquitos is like a post on here recently, about a campaign to save the guinea worm. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-mosquitoes-became-extinct/176357/11 "2003-05-21T21:55:32Z")
We had a [previous discussion](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=83579) on this topic, for those who are interested. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-mosquitoes-became-extinct/176357/12 "2003-05-21T21:59:20Z")
I’d be a very happy man, and I’m sure other less HORRIBLE SPAWN FROM HELL insects would soon fill in the niche. I can dream.