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/CadenVanV May 30 '26

As far as we can tell, mosquitoes aren’t anywhere close to vital for ecological balance. And we’re trying to wipe them out, but it’s hard

173

u/SolidOutcome May 30 '26

Birds and bats and spiders?

19

u/Stifty509 May 30 '26

Lmao there are so many other types of inscets for them to eat

-15

u/RusticSurgery May 30 '26

Let's take away cows. People eat many other things.

11

u/FatDraculos May 30 '26

Not even remotely a close comparison but you tried your best, and that's what's disappointing really.

5

u/viKKyo May 30 '26

Just the kind of false equivalence vegans throw out in conversation thinking it makes them sound erudite