Drones Join The Fight Against Mosquitoes

The use of drones in combat is not unheard of, but how about them being used in the battle against mosquitoes?  An idea to transport high numbers of sterile mosquitoes by drone, into a habitat with a high population of wild male mosquitoes is discussed in the following article.

Robotics startup could fight Zika by dumping mosquitoes from a drone

When it comes to solving the problem of Zika virus, we previously covered possible solutions ranging from experimental vaccines to more unorthodox approaches based on turning 100 percent of the mosquito population male. A new solution to the problem has appeared on the horizon, however — and this one uses drones.

It sounds like a very complex mission, however, researchers hope to be implementing tests in 2018. Could this be the next weapon in the constant fight we face against disease spreading mosquitoes? 2 years ago the following video shared the prospect of using drones as detection devices.

It just shows what a difference 2 years can make in the line of research. From detection to possible future prevention.

Drones to fight mosquito populations with special release technique

WeRobotics have a drone plan to drop sterilized male mosquitos, in an experiment focused on bringing down the mosquito population and in turn reducing the numbers of people who die from diseases they carry. The drones can carry hundreds of thousands of mosquitoes, said the BBC. “Sterile male mosquitoes cannot produce offspring when they mate with females. By crowding out other males, they reduce the mosquito population,” Chris Foxx, BBC technology reporter, said.

With technology companies eager to participate in helping the planet to become a safer place, we can hope that the tests next year prove to be positive and a step towards controlling the spread of mosquito borne disease.