Millions of mosquitoes are falling from the sky…, the reason will surprise you

What fell from the sky in the dense forests of Hawaii in the month of June shocked everyone. But this was not a devastating attack. Small pods were being dropped from drones. Thousands of mosquitoes were filled in them. Yes, you read it right, mosquitoes. But these mosquitoes were prepared for a special purpose. Its purpose is to save the species of beautiful birds of Hawaii which are getting extinct.

Millions of mosquitoes falling from the sky

One identity of Hawaii used to be its colorful, small beautiful birds. Which includes ‘Honeycreeper’. There were more than 50 species of them once. But now only a few are left. The condition of those which are left is also serious. These birds were not just a symbol of beauty. But their role in the environment was also very important. They used to do things like spreading pollen of flowers, transporting seeds from one place to another very well.

Bird species is getting extinct

But now the situation has deteriorated so much that one species ‘Akikiki’ has almost disappeared from the forests. Now less than 100 birds of another species named ‘Akeke’ are left. This is not just a biological crisis. Rather it is a direct blow to the culture and heritage of Hawaii.

Avian malaria caused by mosquitoes

These birds have enmity with mosquitoes. But it is not just about biting. Avian malaria is also a deadly disease spread by mosquitoes. Which is proving to be very dangerous for these little birds.

The special thing is that mosquitoes were not always present in Hawaii. In 1826, when whale catching ships came here for the first time, mosquitoes also came along with them. Since then, mosquitoes have established their foothold in this area and wreaked havoc on the birds.

Mosquitoes have started reaching the mountains as well

Earlier these birds used to survive by going to high mountains. Where the cold used to stop mosquitoes. But now due to global warming the temperature has increased so much that mosquitoes have started reaching there as well.

Plan to eliminate mosquitoes with mosquitoes only

To save the birds, scientists have adopted a unique technique. Incompatible Insect Technique (IIT) technique. In this, a bacteria called ‘Wolbachia’ is put in the body of male mosquitoes prepared in the lab. When these mosquitoes mate with female mosquitoes in the forest, their eggs do not hatch. That means the next generation of mosquitoes is not born. Gradually the population of mosquitoes starts decreasing.

Work started in the year 2016

In 2016, an organization named American Bird Conservancy and ‘Birds, Not Mosquitoes’ started working on this technology. Lakhs of mosquitoes were prepared in a lab in California and then released on the islands of ‘Maui’ and ‘Kauai’ in Hawaii. About 10 lakh mosquitoes are being released every week. But these mosquitoes cannot bite humans.

Mosquitoes released from drones

It was not easy to transport mosquitoes to mountains and dense forests. Releasing them from helicopters was expensive and risky. In such a situation, drones did wonders. Now mosquitoes are being released in those inaccessible areas through drones. Where even helicopters cannot reach.

This method is cheap, safe and fast. Perhaps this is why there is hope once again that these beautiful birds of Hawaii can be brought back from the brink of extinction.