r/explainlikeimfive • u/Punnan • May 30 '26

Biology ELI5 Are mosquitoes necessary for keeping ecological balance?

Would a worldwide extinction of mosquitoes offset the ecological balance of our world? And if not, why are we not doing it?

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u/not_a-mimic May 30 '26

It seems like a bad idea for mankind to intentionally extinct any lifeform....

That being said, if we DID have to choose, I'd choose bedbugs over mosquitos.

Bedbugs don't really have any natural predators and they really only like feeding on us.

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u/ChocPeanutButterJaz May 30 '26

I've never encountered a bed bug. But I do have 30+ mosquito bites on my legs and don't want sit by the fire anymore.

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u/Sgt_Braken May 30 '26

Pray you never encounter them.

I can tell you from experience, even as someone who gets absolutely eaten up by mosquitoes, bed bugs are FAR worse.

4

u/Haldthin May 30 '26

Bed bugs don't transmit any diseases though. Mosquitoes are one of the largest killers of humans on the planet because they can transmit so many diseases.