tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684843.post6736990340639531763..comments2024-03-26T22:16:26.572-04:00Comments on Terrierman's Daily Dose: Mosquitos? Kill Them All!PBurnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781540805883519064noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684843.post-51892609916551704572011-12-03T07:25:44.953-05:002011-12-03T07:25:44.953-05:00But if mosquitos went away, think of all teh monee...But if mosquitos went away, think of all teh monees that vets would lose by not selling overpriced heartworm medication :*(<br /><br />Hey though, if that were the case, then there'd be no more moaning and groaning about "noncompliance" with HW med administration!Viateciohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08523551407472141202noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684843.post-32866358108438323192011-11-29T17:30:09.082-05:002011-11-29T17:30:09.082-05:00The are a lot of types of mosquitoes, and not all ...The are a lot of types of mosquitoes, and not all are as harmful to people as others, so I am not sure we would even have to get rid of all mosquitoes to get massive benefits -- just four or five species would give us 90% of the benefit.<br /><br />As a general rule, these bugs are so small and so short-lived that not too much depends on them, and so if they were eliminated nothing too noticeable would happen for the most part. My guess is we would see more Mayflies (also a small winged water-warrior insect, but not a blood sucker) and more gnats. It would not take much to fill in the void, and if we saw a 5% decline in an insectivorious bird, would we even notice? Nope. We have had far bigger dives than that NOT related to food, and no one noticed or care. The notion that if we eliminated a species the whole chain of life collapses, is simply not true. We extirpate species from areas all the time without obvious effect, and we introduce them all the time without obvious effect. <br /><br />PPBurnshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05781540805883519064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684843.post-90554676224978413612011-11-29T16:09:54.607-05:002011-11-29T16:09:54.607-05:00Well it all sounds pretty good until you get to th...Well it all sounds pretty good until you get to the last sentence.<br /><br />"If we eradicated them tomorrow, the ecosystems where they are active will hiccup and then get on with life. Something better or worse would take over."<br /><br />I'm wondering what the "worse" thing might be.geonni bannerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13698766164965033468noreply@blogger.com