University of Kentucky entomologist Stephen Dobson is deploying bacteria-infected male mosquitoes to reduce local populations by preventing eggs from hatching.

Half a million modified male mosquitoes are scheduled for release in the Washington, D.C., area this summer to combat local mosquito populations. These mosquitoes are infected with Wolbachia, a naturally occurring bacterium that renders the eggs of females they mate with sterile. The project is led by Stephen Dobson, an entomologist at the University of Kentucky and CEO of the lab MosquitoMate.

How the technology works

The process involves using microscopic needles to inject Wolbachia bacteria into mosquito eggs, a technique developed in Dobson's laboratory around 2005. Because male mosquitoes do not bite or consume blood, they are used to seek out and mate with females of the same species. Once the females mate with the modified males, their eggs fail to hatch, leading to a population decline over several weeks.

Environmental and pest control impact

Dobson notes that this method is species-specific, avoiding the impact that broad-spectrum chemicals can have on beneficial insects like bees and butterflies. The approach also bypasses the issue of chemical resistance, which has become a problem as mosquito populations adapt to traditional pesticides. The mosquitoes being targeted, such as the invasive tiger mosquito, were not present in the United States before 1985, and Dobson argues that reducing their numbers returns the ecosystem to a more natural state.