As mosquito season kicks off in Southern California, Orange County is launching an innovative project to reduce mosquito populations and limit the spread of diseases. The Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District plans to release up to 100,000 sterilized male mosquitoes weekly in Mission Viejo starting in May. This effort targets the invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito, known for spreading diseases like dengue, zika, and chikungunya.
According to Mercury News , the sterilization process involves chilling male mosquitoes in a 39-degree refrigerator and then using an x-ray machine to sterilize them. These lab-bred mosquitoes are dusted with a fluorescent pigment to differentiate them from wild mosquitoes, which helps track their effectiveness in the field.
The technique is inspired by a 1996 program that successfully used sterilized insects to control Mediterranean fruit fly populations. Amber Semrow, director of scientific technical services with the district, explained that the sterilized males will outcompete non-sterilized males, reducing mosquito numbers over time…