Drones, Helicopters, Male Mosquitoes Combat Avian Malaria in Hawaii

The National Park Service in Kula, Hawaii, announced this week that they will soon be releasing millions of mosquitoes in Haleakalā Park in an effort to combat the avian malaria that is endangering forest birds.

That may sound counterintuitive, but it’s the deployment of a method called “incompatible insect technique,” which involves releasing incompatible male mosquitoes into the wild in order to reduce the reproductive potential of female mosquitoes in the area.

What makes these males incompatible? They are rife with naturally occurring bacteria called Wolbachia (present in the eggs and sperm). When male mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia are introduced to a population, mating becomes unproductive, and the overall mosquito population is suppressed.

By releasing a large number of Wolbachia-infected males into a mosquito population – and the NPS plans to repeatedly use drones, helicopters, and ground dispersals to introduce millions of the infected hosts – the females will be unable to lay viable eggs. Because males do not feed on blood (only females bite), they won’t be spreading avian malaria.

Incompatible insect technique technique is increasingly used elsewhere to reduce the spread of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue and Zika. Here's a brief explainer.

Photo credit: David Ehrenberg / NPS