Mosquitoes kill over 700,000 people annually and transmit deadly diseases like malaria, dengue, Zika, and yellow fever that threaten half the world's population. They have developed resistance to insecticides and can carry multiple diseases. Methods to control mosquito populations include eave tubes, insecticide-laced traps, releasing sterile males, genetically engineered mosquitoes with lethal genes, and gene drives. Current strategies aim to eliminate disease-carrying species selectively in affected areas and combine birth control techniques rather than completely eradicating mosquitoes to avoid disrupting ecosystems.

1. Tiny Angels of Death
Killer Mosquitoes

2. 3500 Different Species of Mosquitoes:
Not all are Deadly
● Mosquitoes kill 725,000 people annually
● Threaten roughly half the world’s population
● Responsible for killing more people than all the wars in history
combined
● Disease Control = Mosquito Control

4. Stubborn little buggers
● Mosquitoes have developed resistance to insecticides
● Difficult to kill certain species of mosquitoes
● Some species are capable of carrying multiple diseases
simultaneously

5. Diseases
● Malaria
● Dengue Fever
● Zika
● Yellow Fever
● West Nile
● Chikungunya
● Lymphatic Filariasis

6. Malaria
● 2016:
○ 216 million infected
○ 445,000 Died
○ $2.7 billion spent on
malaria research
and elimination

7. Methods of Killing Mosquitoes
● Eave Tubes (fill small gap between roof and top of exterior wall
in tropical houses)
○ Cut malaria transmission by 40%
○ E.T. will eventually reduce/replace indoor spraying
● Insecticide laced sugar bait mosquito traps
○ Highly effective
○ 90% of females die in surrounding area

8. Birth Control (U.N.)
● Release sterilized males by radiation
○ Females only mate once
○ Produces dead eggs
● Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes
○ Ex: Pass off a gene that kills female offspring
○ Mate with wild mosquitoes, rapidly spreading the trait
● Gene Drive
○ Uses CRISPR to drive genetic changes
○ Requires far fewer mosquito releases

9. Balancing the Mosquito Population
● Killing all mosquitoes could have unforeseen consequences
○ Disrupt food chains
○ Affect plant pollination
Current Strategies:
● Eliminate only disease carrying species, in heavily affected areas
● Combine multiple birth control methods

10. Summary
● Mosquito borne illness threatens half of the world’s population
● Mosquitoes are resistant to insecticides
● Birth Control techniques are being employed worldwide
● Selective population control, rather than complete eradication

11. Works Cited
Strickman, Dan. 2018. Buzz Kill. Scientific American. Volume 319. Pp 66-71.
Bowdler, Neil. 2012. Malaria deaths hugely underestimated - Lancet Study. BBC News.
[Internet].[Cited 2018 November 25]. Available from https://www.bbc.com/news/health-
16854026
Spilinek, Collin. 2018. Heavy Rains Result in ‘extremely high’ mosquito numbers. Lincoln
Journal Star. [Internet]. [Cited November 25]. Available from
https://journalstar.com/lifestyles/home-and-garden/heavy-rains-result-in-extremely-high-
mosquito-numbers/article_cf49be75-2a6c-5c3c-b321-06b881960726.html

12. Lyons, Jack. 2015. Mosquito borne diseases. Rentokil.[Internet].[Cited 2018 November 25].
Available from https://www.rentokil.com/blog/mosquito-borne-diseases/#.W_yczWJKjXE
In2Care.org. 2018. How Eave Tubes Work. [ Internet]. [Cited 2018 November 25]. Available
from http://www.in2care.org/eave-tubes-work/