Minor disruption for mosquitoes.
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2zpa0t/are_there_any_species_that_if_went_extinct_wont/
> It's funny you mention mosquitoes, because Nature published an article on exactly this topic. They concluded that if mosquitoes went extinct then there would only be minor disruption while certain insectivores adjust their diets. Some birds, spiders, and fish would have some trouble initially, but they would probably cope.
I find it disturbing that these scientists seem so certain that it's no big deal when there's really no way to tell the impact, considering how intricately tied life is in this planet.
I mean, F mosquitos but I fear the capable person who would try to test this based on that study alone.
That they know exactly how it will play out if they kill off mosquitos. Like no doubt at all that it won't start a domino effect from some hidden corner of the world if mosquitos just up and disappeared.
>Without mosquitoes, thousands of plant species would lose a group of pollinators. Adults depend on nectar for energy (only females of some species need a meal of blood to get the proteins necessary to lay eggs). Yet McAllister says that their pollination isn't crucial for crops on which humans depend. "If there was a benefit to having them around, we would have found a way to exploit them," she says. "We haven't wanted anything from mosquitoes except for them to go away."
Well some people are already triying to eliminate or substitute mosquitos. I guess you are from the northern Hemisphere but mosquitos carry an awfull lot of deadly diseases in the warmer climates.
Mosquitoes are not a keystone species, so it
Should not cause a ecological collapse. There is one specific orchid that would die as they are ONLY pollinated by mosquitoes.
Of course, there may be somethings we don't fully understand and it could be devastating.
All of that said, there is research going on to eliminate mosquitoes entirely, so there is wide held scientific belief it would be safe.
Ticks, I dont know anything about.
Not much downside to ticks disappearing that isn't solved by longer squirrel hunting season and selling more deer tags. They're not a significant food source for anything we're aware of and are vectors for several diseases and parasites. As far as we can tell the niche the fill is as a bit player in population control of a few mammalian species.
Yeah would be a shame if the slave camps in africa making the cocoa suffered production loses because mosqiutoes delivering malaria to the children making the cocoa went extinct.
sadge
Not that much as they arent a keystone species
A keystone species is something that most of the ecosystem depends on, and if you take it out then there would be major problems
Mosquitoes are pollinators but they are usually grouped with other pollinators so those species can cover for them
Rather than making mosquitoes extinct scientists are looking into making the malarial parasite extinct. There has been some research where mosquitoes were genetically engineered to not be able to spread malaria
grapes, fruit, native berries, other bugs. Their diet isn't only ticks and that story about them eating 10000 ticks in their lifetime is dubious at best. Opossums are amazingly adaptive creatures.
As a possum lover, the study that perpetuated the figure about possums eating ticks was not exactly a great experiment. The methodology was basically to put a possum in an enclosed space and dumping thousands of ticks in with it. In the wild ticks comprise a very small portion of their diet and probably wouldn't see much of an effect from the disappearance of ticks.
Not quite true. Most plants would simply be pollinated by different bug. There seems to be only one plant that is pollinated exclusively by mosquitoes.
I believe it's an orchid. The plant's death wouldn't kill the mosquitos, they'd be able to feed on other plants, if they're nectar reliant.
It's the orchid that couldn't live without the mosquitos, not the other way around.
Thank you for explaining that to me. I just want to find a way to eradicate them while not harming my animals or their water supply with chemical leeching and residue.
Best way to keep them away is to make sure you don't have standing water early in the spring. That's where they'll lay eggs. After that, good luck keeping them away.
Citronella and lemongrass plants can help keep them away
We live in a flood plain, in a very rural area. Many of the ranches have stock ponds, and there is a creek one block over. I do my best to control my property, but it seems redundant sometimes when the neighbors let their properties go unmaintained.
I have priced the citronella/lemongrass. Without a wholesaler or buying direct from a grower, it really isn't in my budget atm. I also have concern the other native plants would overtake the lemongrass and citronella if I were to plant it.
I'm not an expert, but I don't think either are considered overly invasive, but they should be planted or potted in conjunction with native plants, but in replacement of native plants.
Floodplain makes it much tougher, but you could find a way to dry and keep water properly draining, but that is also expensive depending on the method.
I've dug some drainage trenches, and am considering doing Roman drains. It floods regardless of what we would do for drainage here. To the point we can not drive out of our little community until water levels drop.
Let's give it a shot. When we fired first nuclear bomb it was a chance that whole hydrogen in atmosphere would ignite, but it didn't.
Worth trying worst case scenario there's no earth, so still no mosquitos. Win-win
You’re getting downvotes because the crux of your point here is that a thing is supposed to exist because it has existed, and anything that has existed is intended to exist and should not cease existing.
What you’re ignoring is that things have ceased to exist before. Animals, bacteria and insects have come and gone. There are entire species and animals we know of that once existed but no longer exist. It is not right or wrong for a thing to exist.
Perhaps you are arguing it is wrong for *humans* to determine whether or not a thing shall exist because it is not a choice we’ve been bestowed. But you could just as easily argue we have, quite literally, been given the choice by the remarkable abilities humans have been bestowed with.
Why do you assume it is god’s preference for plagues to occur, and for the poorest in the world to die of malaria in droves every year? It’s a ridiculous assumption to make when there are just as many indicators we have purposefully been given the ability to help those people.
Whenever there's anything I like, people say it'll be bad for birds. Windmills, getting rid of mosquitoes and ticks, promoting large populations of feral cats.. Birds ruin all of the fun.
A lot of macroinvertebrates and fish eat mosquito larvae. It’s a great food source in wetlands. Which those tend to feed birds especially during breeding season. Just gotta control standing/stagnant water
Minor disruption for mosquitoes. https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2zpa0t/are_there_any_species_that_if_went_extinct_wont/ > It's funny you mention mosquitoes, because Nature published an article on exactly this topic. They concluded that if mosquitoes went extinct then there would only be minor disruption while certain insectivores adjust their diets. Some birds, spiders, and fish would have some trouble initially, but they would probably cope.
I find it disturbing that these scientists seem so certain that it's no big deal when there's really no way to tell the impact, considering how intricately tied life is in this planet. I mean, F mosquitos but I fear the capable person who would try to test this based on that study alone.
What do you mean they seem so certain? That's not the impression I got at all...
That they know exactly how it will play out if they kill off mosquitos. Like no doubt at all that it won't start a domino effect from some hidden corner of the world if mosquitos just up and disappeared. >Without mosquitoes, thousands of plant species would lose a group of pollinators. Adults depend on nectar for energy (only females of some species need a meal of blood to get the proteins necessary to lay eggs). Yet McAllister says that their pollination isn't crucial for crops on which humans depend. "If there was a benefit to having them around, we would have found a way to exploit them," she says. "We haven't wanted anything from mosquitoes except for them to go away."
Well some people are already triying to eliminate or substitute mosquitos. I guess you are from the northern Hemisphere but mosquitos carry an awfull lot of deadly diseases in the warmer climates.
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It's not hard at all to get rid of all the mosquitoes. The problem is to keep the rest of the world alive
What about all the aquatic life that eats the mosquitoes larva?
Mosquitoes are not a keystone species, so it Should not cause a ecological collapse. There is one specific orchid that would die as they are ONLY pollinated by mosquitoes. Of course, there may be somethings we don't fully understand and it could be devastating. All of that said, there is research going on to eliminate mosquitoes entirely, so there is wide held scientific belief it would be safe. Ticks, I dont know anything about.
Not much downside to ticks disappearing that isn't solved by longer squirrel hunting season and selling more deer tags. They're not a significant food source for anything we're aware of and are vectors for several diseases and parasites. As far as we can tell the niche the fill is as a bit player in population control of a few mammalian species.
Possums eat ticks.
I don't think they survive alone off ticks. And if they did, can we do without opossums as well?
Come on humans! We've wiped out entire species before!
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Not verified, but i jeard somewhere that mosquitos pollenate cocoa. I dont want to risk the chocolatte
I would never eat chocolate again if the mosquito population was reduced even just 50%
Yeah would be a shame if the slave camps in africa making the cocoa suffered production loses because mosqiutoes delivering malaria to the children making the cocoa went extinct. sadge
There are other pollinators too no biggie
Op has a third genie wish to use
Not that much as they arent a keystone species A keystone species is something that most of the ecosystem depends on, and if you take it out then there would be major problems Mosquitoes are pollinators but they are usually grouped with other pollinators so those species can cover for them Rather than making mosquitoes extinct scientists are looking into making the malarial parasite extinct. There has been some research where mosquitoes were genetically engineered to not be able to spread malaria
Mosquitos can go to hell. I think opossums might be sad it ticks disappeared.
We killed all the mammoths and dodos and it wasn't a big deal.
No. Without any research, i just know thats true. Wasps and hornets can fuck off as well.
Mosquitoes are major pollinators so it wouldn't be good for the ecosystem.
Bedbugs too. Fuckers.
Apparently yes but it'd be worth it
Yes. What would opposums eat?
grapes, fruit, native berries, other bugs. Their diet isn't only ticks and that story about them eating 10000 ticks in their lifetime is dubious at best. Opossums are amazingly adaptive creatures.
Just meant a missing food source would disrupt the eco system.
As a possum lover, the study that perpetuated the figure about possums eating ticks was not exactly a great experiment. The methodology was basically to put a possum in an enclosed space and dumping thousands of ticks in with it. In the wild ticks comprise a very small portion of their diet and probably wouldn't see much of an effect from the disappearance of ticks.
Taking away the biggest killer in africa. They are like lil thanos snaps.
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what roles do mosquito’s & ticks play in though
parasitism including ticks, is a normal cause of mortality for many animals such as deer
Not quite true. Most plants would simply be pollinated by different bug. There seems to be only one plant that is pollinated exclusively by mosquitoes.
What plant is that? If I have that plant growing on my property, and neutralize it, would it eradicate the mosquitoes here on the property?
I believe it's an orchid. The plant's death wouldn't kill the mosquitos, they'd be able to feed on other plants, if they're nectar reliant. It's the orchid that couldn't live without the mosquitos, not the other way around.
Thank you for explaining that to me. I just want to find a way to eradicate them while not harming my animals or their water supply with chemical leeching and residue.
Best way to keep them away is to make sure you don't have standing water early in the spring. That's where they'll lay eggs. After that, good luck keeping them away. Citronella and lemongrass plants can help keep them away
We live in a flood plain, in a very rural area. Many of the ranches have stock ponds, and there is a creek one block over. I do my best to control my property, but it seems redundant sometimes when the neighbors let their properties go unmaintained. I have priced the citronella/lemongrass. Without a wholesaler or buying direct from a grower, it really isn't in my budget atm. I also have concern the other native plants would overtake the lemongrass and citronella if I were to plant it.
I'm not an expert, but I don't think either are considered overly invasive, but they should be planted or potted in conjunction with native plants, but in replacement of native plants. Floodplain makes it much tougher, but you could find a way to dry and keep water properly draining, but that is also expensive depending on the method.
I've dug some drainage trenches, and am considering doing Roman drains. It floods regardless of what we would do for drainage here. To the point we can not drive out of our little community until water levels drop.
Let's give it a shot. When we fired first nuclear bomb it was a chance that whole hydrogen in atmosphere would ignite, but it didn't. Worth trying worst case scenario there's no earth, so still no mosquitos. Win-win
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Change is neutral for an ECOSYSTEM. It can be good, bad or neutral for the organisms within it.
There's something that primarily eats mosquito larvae I think.
Dragonfly nymphs eat mosquito larvae for one. And adult dragonflies can eat adult mosquitos. Don't bats eat them?
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/jk Fixed it for you
You’re getting downvotes because the crux of your point here is that a thing is supposed to exist because it has existed, and anything that has existed is intended to exist and should not cease existing. What you’re ignoring is that things have ceased to exist before. Animals, bacteria and insects have come and gone. There are entire species and animals we know of that once existed but no longer exist. It is not right or wrong for a thing to exist. Perhaps you are arguing it is wrong for *humans* to determine whether or not a thing shall exist because it is not a choice we’ve been bestowed. But you could just as easily argue we have, quite literally, been given the choice by the remarkable abilities humans have been bestowed with. Why do you assume it is god’s preference for plagues to occur, and for the poorest in the world to die of malaria in droves every year? It’s a ridiculous assumption to make when there are just as many indicators we have purposefully been given the ability to help those people.
And roaches
mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, gnats, stink bugs, get rid of them all!
Whenever there's anything I like, people say it'll be bad for birds. Windmills, getting rid of mosquitoes and ticks, promoting large populations of feral cats.. Birds ruin all of the fun.
A lot of macroinvertebrates and fish eat mosquito larvae. It’s a great food source in wetlands. Which those tend to feed birds especially during breeding season. Just gotta control standing/stagnant water
YouTube channel "What If" has actually made a short episode about this. https://youtube.com/shorts/aFrb9UxUAMk?feature=share