Science Forums 2

[Michaelangelica]

DDT use in malaria campaign requires extreme caution

2008-08-24 10:06:00
By Theonestina Kaiza-Boshe

Malaria, being a number one killer disease in Tanzania, is one disease that any Tanzanian would wish the Government to accord the highest priority in fighting.

DDT use in malaria campaign requires extreme caution

9. Placing a dryer sheet in your pocket will keep the mosquitoes away.

My Good Cents Blog Archive Did You Know?
Whats a dryer sheet?

But did you know you can rub the powder found on the bark of a Quaking Aspen tree on your skin and it works as mosquito repellent. You see, mosquito repellent actually works not because the mosquitoes are driven away by the offensive smell, but because there are chemical compounds whose odor blocks the mosquito's sensory receptors effectively hiding us. So, you can be invisible to mosquitoes by buying mosquito repellent with "DEET," an organic hydrocarbon molecule, or use the powder from the bark of your Quaking Aspen tree, an organic molecule from a whole 'nuther source.

Multi-Use Plants and Shrubs

What are mosquitoes good for?
by Kelly A. Mello

Believe it or not, mosquitoes are good for more than just buzzing in your ear and giving you that itchy bump. As with all living creatures, they are a part of "the circle of life".

You see, fish eat mosquitoes when they are larvae, and birds and bats eat them when they are adult insects. Various other carnivores eat those animals, which we, in turn, eat. If mosquitoes were to be eradicated, this would throw the whole system out of order, just as if you were to do this with any living organism.

Additionally, mosquitoes are pollinators. Since the diet of mosquitoes is composed of plant nectar, they help plant life grow. You can use this to your advantage. If you live in a highly populated mosquito area, plant some flowers in your yard to attract them to the pollen, rather than your arms, legs and other delicacies.

Unfortunately, there are no more reasons that I can think of as to how mosquitoes are good. Honestly, at first glance, I write them off as one of Earth's greatest pests. However, the benefits of them that I have given should not be taken lightly. If you take mosquitoes out of the picture, you might as well take yourself out too. So before you raise your hand in the slapping position, pay a tribute to the almighty pollinator and fish/bird/bat food.

What are mosquitoes good for? - by Kelly A. Mello - Helium

Three Nice Things We Can Say About Mosquitoes

1. You should have no beef with half the world's mosquitoes because the males don't bite. Your problem is with the ladies, not the guys
2. Mosquito ladies have an excuse. Being (most of them) good mothers, they are biting to provide food for their babies.
3.Every time human settlers stepped into those areas in serious numbers, they got bit, then they got sick, and then, until very recently, most of them backed off.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...oryId=93049810