[Cogito]

It's never "all mosquitos" it's "all of these 2-3 types (Anopheles) of mosquitoes that are vectors for human pathogens".

The ecosystem impact is still super important to understand, but it's reasonable to think that other mosquitos, or similar insects, could fill the niche left behind.

[hypertele-Xii]

I'm for eliminating all mosquitos. They are the single most annoying thing about the best time of the year, summer, around here. I want to enjoy it without being harrassed about sucking my blood. The ecosystem will adapt.

[dividedbyzero]

> The ecosystem will adapt.

Sure, but as with climate change, you may not like the result. I guess there's a fair chance that it won't be "just like now, but no mosquito bites". Mosquito larvae are a big source of food for others, and extensively prey on larvae of other species, keeping those in check. Adult mosquitos are important pollinators, too, and as we're currently discovering with bees, taking out an important pollinator has big consequences and while the ecosystems will adapt, it may well end up shedding very desirable species entirely, ecosystems take a long time to bounce back, and may be a lot less appealing to us afterwards.

Frogs and fish might suffer, too, they'll have to make do with a lot less food when you take mosquitos out, and what takes their niche may not be as palatable. You push these below a sustainable population size in an area, you probably lose them entirely, and their function of keeping insect larvae and adult insects in check. Since we'd like to enjoy mosquito-free summers ourselves, and soon, the time scales we'd typically do such interventions on is way too short for much adaptation in vertebrates to take place, generation times even of frogs and small fish are too long for that. You may end up with ponds that are way emptier and more silent, and with lots more creepy crawlies and possibly a long-term balance that has, say, way more rats, roaches, etc.

[BoxOfRain]

I’ve been plagued by mosquitoes ever since I quit smoking, I’ve found that heating a spoon with boiling water and pressing it against the bites for as long as you can stand the pain will swiftly deal with the itching. You have to be careful not to burn yourself though!

[oezi]

Or just buy a device with the same principle: https://www.beurer.com/web/gb/products/medical/insect-bite-h...

[BoxOfRain]

Sounds expensive compared to boiling a kettle. I actually looked this up, boiling a litre of water in a kettle costs about two pence and I’d only boil around half a pint (~280 ml) for this costing me 0.56p per go. That device retails for about £30 where I live so I’d need to be bitten badly enough for it to be a problem about 5,350 times before it’d be worthwhile.

I guess it depends on whether the device is durable enough to last that long, and whether or not you’re careful enough to avoid burns with the spoon method!

[oezi]

The main advantage is that it is quick and delivers a quantity of heat that matches what is needed to inactivate the mosquito's venom.

Assuming your leisure time is worth 20p per minute, the cost is quickly amortized.

[cassepipe]

I get the feeling but the point is that most mosquitoes do not suck your blood. And the blood sucking ones are just the female mosquitoes of a certain mosquito type and your blood is only meant to help their reproduction. #NotAllMosquitoes