The San Gabriel Valley Vector Control has plans to release nearly 500,000 male Aedes aegypti as a way to help eradicate mosquitoes.
Anais Medina Diaz told KNX News’ Karen Adams the goal is for the mosquitoes to mate with the ankle-biting females. After they mate, their eggs won't hatch, and that will hopefully reduce the amount of mosquitoes in the area. This will also help reduce the risk of people getting dengue, Zika, and other mosquito-borne diseases.
“Female mosquitoes are the only ones that bite us. They need our blood to produce more eggs and more mosquitoes. Male mosquitoes do not bite and they cannot transmit diseases,” she explained.
The male mosquitoes will be released over the course of 16 weeks.
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