Home - MosquitoMate. MosquitoMate is an innovative solution to reduce mosquitoes, naturally. Registered by the EPA, our non-GMO male mosquitoes mate with and sterilize female mosquitoes, to reduce the population of invasive Tiger mosquitoes. Male mosquitoes don't bite.
How do you sterilize insects?
Exposing the insects to ionizing radiation is the current method of choice, when it comes to sterilizing insects so they may no longer produce. Isotopic sources such as cobalt-60 or cesium-137 are used to produce gamma radiation for sterilizing the insects.
What chemical is used for killing mosquitoes?
Management and Control of Adult Mosquitoes The use of sprays and fogs containing pyrethrum or a combination of pyrethrum and synthetic pyrethrum (called pyrethroids) is a toxic and popular combination. These products kill adult mosquitoes on contact and also work to repel others.
What is SIT for mosquito?
Sterile Insect Techniques (SITs) are way to control insects, including some types of mosquitoes. SITs for mosquitoes involve three steps: mass production of mosquitoes, sorting males from females, then mass release of sterile male mosquitoes into an area.
How do you sterilize male mosquitoes?
Male mosquitoes are bred and sterilized using the same radiation found in x-rays. Males are then regularly released to mate with wild females. The resulting eggs will not hatch. In the United States, this type of SIT has been used to control Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.Dec 1, 2020
What is sterile male insect?
The sterile males compete with wild males to mate with the females. Females that mate with a sterile male produce no offspring, thus reducing the next generation's population. Sterile insects are not self-replicating and, therefore, cannot become established in the environment.
Can male mosquitoes reproduce?
"Mating can happen throughout the season but with different age cohorts." In many species, male mosquitoes are ready to mate within their first few days of adulthood.
Do male mosquitoes need blood?
Proboscis: In female mosquitoes, this mouth part pierces the skin of a person or animal and sucks out blood. The male's proboscis is not strong enough to pierce the skin, and males do not feed on blood. Both female and male mosquitoes use the proboscis to feed on flower nectar and fruit juices.Mar 5, 2020
What are male mosquitoes?
The focus of the male mosquito life is to find water, food, shelter and a mate. They feed mainly on water and plant nectar. Male mosquitoes have no need for animal blood like the females, so they generally avoid contact with humans. Male vs. Female Mosquito Buzzing.
What does Wolbachia do to insects?
These alphaproteobacteria endosymbionts are transmitted vertically through host eggs and alter host biology in diverse ways. Within arthropods, Wolbachia is a reproductive parasite, manipulating the reproductive biology of hosts to increase its own transmission.
How is Wolbachia inserted into mosquitoes?
First, Wolbachia bacteria are introduced into male and female Ae. aegypti mosquito eggs. From these eggs, new mosquitoes with Wolbachia are bred. Mosquitoes are mass-produced in a factory.
What is Wolbachia project?
Discover the Microbes Within: The Wolbachia Project is an integrative lab series designed to bring real-world scientific research into middle, high school and college biology classes through inquiry, discovery, biotechnology, and a culture of excellence.