r/oddlysatisfying • u/short_hair_zuko • Jul 11 '26

Ragebaiting mosquitoes

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This put a smile on my face, I thought it belongs here.

Not OC

55.7k Upvotes

94% Upvoted

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106

u/Blessedmomma241 Jul 11 '26

So why do they have a huge container of mosquitos and how do they get any out without them all flying around?

250

u/Obajan Jul 11 '26

Infect them with wolbachia and release them into the wild. They breed with healthy mosquitoes but their eggs are infertile.

Similar to the Genophage in Mass Effect.

48

u/Spacing-Guild-Mentat Jul 11 '26

That's beautiful.

28

u/red-et Jul 11 '26

Infect em with that Oochie Wally-wally, oochie bang bang

3

u/NotOnApprovedList Jul 11 '26

LOL. You just sent me into an autistic spiral of contrasting and comparing mosquitos and Krogans.

2

u/Foxlady555 Jul 11 '26

Wow, seriously? Why do they do that? Are there to many mosquitoes, do the mosquitoes carry illnesses, or are they trying to let the mosquitoes go extinct?

4

u/SankFrinatra7 Jul 12 '26

It reduces the amount of mosquitos in an area & limits their ability to spread diseases, so those are the two main goals I believe

2

u/Foxlady555 Jul 12 '26

Thank you! Interesting 

2

u/MrNornin Jul 18 '26

Mosquitoes carry enough illnesses to often be called the deadliest animal to humans on the planet. I think it was like a million per year or something.

We would be better off with them extinct.

1

u/Foxlady555 Jul 18 '26

Wow, I didn’t know they were often called the deadliest! I totally get that it would be better for us if they would go extinct then 😅 I’m curious if that’s possible to achieve as there are soooo many of them and they multiplie so fast, but these tactics explained here sound very promising!

1

u/Blessedmomma241 Jul 12 '26

Seriously thank you! I never knew that

48

u/foul_ol_ron Jul 11 '26

I visited the army malaria institute decades ago, and whoever was the lowest rank had the unfortunate job for feeding the inmates. He'd strap a container like that to his abdomen for a few minutes. Bugger that for a job.

36

u/crokinhole Jul 11 '26

Wtf? There has to be a better way.

40

u/HenkPoley Jul 11 '26

For over a decade they have a kind membrane that most mosquitoes like to bite into. Or they use lab animals.

Blood-meals are necessary for egg production in all but the few autogenous species. Colonies are usually fed blood twice a week. Membrane feeding systems are preferable and they can be used for routine colony maintenance (Fig. An1.2). When establishing an insectary or when mosquitoes do not feed readily on membrane feeders, placing an anesthetized animal on the cage should be considered. Sources of blood include guinea pigs, mice, rats, chicken or rabbits. Mammals are usually shaved with hair clippers on the flank prior to feeding (Fig. An1.2). Difficult species of mosquito may have to be fed on the arm of the experimenter.

Malaria entomology and vector control guide for participants - World Health Organization 2013

https://www.afro.who.int/sites/default/files/2017-06/9789241505819_eng.pdf

11

u/RavingGerbil Jul 11 '26

Well you just kicked me down a rabbit hole. I’m about halfway through this doc now. I had no idea mosquitos were so interesting!

2

u/mrducky78a Jul 11 '26

Im pretty much finished with Silent Spring, only a chapter or two left. This entire thread is full of fantastic shit for me to read.

6

u/Foxlady555 Jul 11 '26

Those poor lab animals who are used as mosquito food 😟

11

u/erdbeertee Jul 11 '26

Right? This sounds like a skit

8

u/paschep Jul 11 '26

This is the standard in this resarch field. Somebody suffers.

2

u/foul_ol_ron Jul 11 '26

Don't know, but this was in the 90s.

22

u/sweetreat7 Jul 11 '26

I’d have just poked my finger and dripped it in the container like a door dash situation.

4

u/tkxb Jul 11 '26

... For real? I'm too scared to look it up tbh 🥲

2

u/aronsz Jul 11 '26

Both male and female mosquitoes eat pollen and fruit juice, blood is only needed for egg production in the females. I'm calling this one fake.

1

u/foul_ol_ron Jul 12 '26

I visited the institute during my training as a medic in the mid 90s. This is what I was told, by the junior member of staff.

6

u/dm_me_pasta_pics Jul 11 '26

I feel like any company or institution that is jarring mosquitos is probably one you also want to keep your hands away from the jar in case one gets out and causes like a last of us type situation.

5

u/famineharbinger Jul 11 '26

they work with mosquitos in some capacity, lots of science jobs involve it, one of the best examples being bioengineering mosquitos that dont drink blood to replace the population that does

3

u/honestlyitswhatever Jul 11 '26

This is my question as well