The idea is to capture a group of male mosquitos ... (how would I know they are either of the sex ... dunno) and place them in a container that would eliminate their reproductive ability ( microwave, maybe) and then release them into the great outdoors and let them do their thing. Sterile mosquitos cannot reproduce; so eventually, through probability and pumutation calculations, the entire malaria-causing bug is exterminated through natural causes. Replacement fish food another consequence. The big black fly is another challenge.
-- Rodeney, Oct 11 2005

New Mosquito Sexing Technique http://www.scienced...10/051010090454.htm
From research at Imperial College. [st3f, Oct 11 2005]

SIT http://en.wikipedia...le_insect_technique
[Shz, Oct 11 2005]

The orginal press release http://www.imperial.ac.uk/P6929.htm
dated 9 October 2005. [st3f, Oct 11 2005]

Mediterranean Fruit Fly Exclusion Program http://www.cdfa.ca....ep/prpinfo/pg1.html
Welcome to California. We've been releasing sterile male medflies since 1996, and quite proud of it. [jurist, Oct 12 2005, last modified Oct 13 2005]

Well. I'm glad you picked an informative title.

Strangely enough, something like this is already done. Since it is the female mosquito that spreads malaria, it is possible to release large quantites of sterile male mosquitos into the wild without causing a health risk. [looks for link]

[Finds that this exact story hit the news yesterday.] [link]
-- st3f, Oct 11 2005


This is baked. It’s called SIT (Sterile Insect Technique).
-- Shz, Oct 11 2005


It's quite easy to tell a male mosquito, at a glance, without looking for glowing bollocks:
They have antenna, instead of a needle.
-- Ling, Oct 12 2005



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