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Dozens of biodegradable pods were previously dropped by drones in Hawaii’s forests. Each drone carried about 1,000 specially bred male mosquitoes. Read on to find out why.
These mosquitoes do not bite and contain a harmless bacteria that prevents eggs from hatching when mated with wild females. The aim is to reduce the population of invasive mosquitoes that are decimating native Hawaiian birds, especially rare honeycreepers, CNN reported.
Hawaii once had more than 50 species of honeycreeper, but only 17 remain, and most are endangered. According to Dr. Chris Farmer, while deforestation has harmed birds, experts say the biggest threat is the spread of avian malaria by mosquitoes. He is the Hawaii Program Director for the American Bird Conservancy (ABC).
CNN quoted Farmer as saying, “We have a rough estimate of how many mosquitoes there are in the wild, and we try to release 10 times as many of these Wolbachia mosquitoes, so that they can find these females and mate with them, and then their eggs don’t hatch.”
He added, “Right now, we are releasing 500,000 mosquitoes per week on Maui and 500,000 mosquitoes per week on Kauai.”
Dr. Farmer says it may take about a year to know whether the mosquito-repellent method is working. But they hope it will help protect native birds long enough for their numbers to recover. If successful, it can be used elsewhere also. However, they warn that, in countries where mosquitoes are native, removing them could damage the natural balance of the ecosystem.
“We have the ability to save these species. If we don’t save these birds this decade, they probably won’t be here in the future. And so the ability to make a change in the world, to make a change in the future, is what inspires us all,” Farmer said.
Challenges of releasing mosquitoes in Hawaii
Releasing mosquitoes in Hawaii has been challenging due to the steep terrain and unpredictable weather. Earlier helicopters were used. This made the work expensive and risky as very few were available for conservation, tourism and security duties. Many flights were canceled due to sudden winds or rain.
This is the first known use of specialized mosquito pods delivered in this manner. It gives better time control in places with unstable weather, and it is safer, cheaper and quieter than helicopters.
Drones changed everything. After lengthy testing in harsh conditions, the team created temperature-safe pods that could carry the insects. They started dropping drones in June.
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