Would the world be better without the threats that mosquitoes pose to many people? According to the author of 'A World Without Mosquitoes', Janet Fang, the world would have much less diseases, and the world would be a much healthier place overall.
Mosquitoes have always been a nuisance to us - and difficult to get rid of. In addition to this, they transfer tons of diseases. If we were to get rid of them, these diseases would be spread much less easily. But mosquitoes inhabit nearly every corner of the planet - from the freezing tundra to tropical islands. And while it might not seem like they do much for us, they actually do play a big part in many ecosystems. They pollinate many plants, they are food for many fish and birds, their larvae help to produce nitrogen in some plants, and for the caribou in the tundra, they direct where the caribou travel. Without them, many ecosystems may collapse.
I think that before, I didn't really appreciate how big of a part that mosquitoes play in ecosystems around the world. I didn't think past the itchiness of their bites. I realize now that we could never get rid of them - they play far too big a part in the world to extirpate.
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