A World Without Mosquitoes

Aaaah, it’s a wonderful thought, isn’t it?  I’ve bitched in the past about how much I hate mosquitoes but ugh, I’m fed up.   I have put screens on all our windows and doors but they still manage to get in somehow.  I think they have a secret breeding ground somewhere in my house.   I’m also convinced that the mosquitoes here in the Netherlands are more crafty and inventive than the ones back in Canada.

The problem isn’t just that I get bitten by them, it’s that I get bitten by them and have serious reactions.  Other people get these little white bumps, look what I get!

Yeah, SO not fun.  My arm isn’t totally misshapen by the way, I just had to twist it weird to show the bite.   There are more but I can’t be bothered to take pics of them all.  Plus, I’m sure this drives the point home.

My husband thinks something else is biting me but I refuse to consider it because the first thing that comes to mind is spiders in my bed, and that makes me freak right the hell out.

It’s mosquitoes, I know it is.  I see them flittering about my house.   The other night one landed on my book while I was reading in bed and I slammed the book shut so hard I startled the dog.  I killed the bastard though!

I had a look online to see if there was any information what the world would be like without them.  Surprisingly, there hasn’t been a lot of research into this topic, which I find ridiculous.  First they should study what happens if we wipe them off the planet, then… if it’s nothing bad, they should start hatching a plan to do so!

Anyhow, this is one of the answers I found to the question:

…  The situation with mosquitoes is less clear. Most people think only of the negative impact mosquitoes have through vectoring diseases of humans and animals – did you know that creatures as diverse as frogs, lizards, and birds have their own versions of mosquito-borne malaria? However, mosquitoes, both as larvae and adults, can serve as a food source for a variety of animals from birds and bats to other arthropods and birds, but none of these predators that I know of are dependent on mosquitoes as a food source. Also, both male and female (but mostly male) mosquitoes can pollinate some plants, but with the possible exception of some small bog orchids (see http://www.borealforest.org/herbs/herb28.htm), I am unaware of any plant species that are dependent on mosquitoes for pollination. A world without mosquitoes therefor would not appear much different than what we see today. In my opinion, the biggest likely difference would be an  increase in human and other mammal populations in areas currently ‘off limits’ because of mosquito-borne diseases.

AHA!  Written proof that the world would be a better place without mosquitoes.  Err… or maybe not.  I don’t know if a larger population would make for a better earth, but for the sake of proving my point, lets just say that it is.