Q: If the planet were rid of all mosquitoes, would there be any negative environmental consequences?
A: It is impossible to know for sure, because so many varieties of mosquitoes fill so many environmental niches, feeding on and being fed on by such a variety of other creatures, and because many of these interactions have not been studied.
But it is only natural that people, pestered by itchy bites and bearing the brunt of mosquito-borne diseases, would hope the answer is no.
Many birds, bats, amphibians, fish, spiders and other insects feed on mosquitoes, but mosquito-control specialists say they usually do not eat enough mosquitoes to control them, let alone to make the loss of mosquitoes crucial to whether the predators survive.
In-depth studies have found that mosquitoes form at most 3 percent of the voracious purple martin's diet, according to the American Mosquito Control Association.
ActiveStyle on 08/24/2015