Half of the troubles in summer come from the high temperature, and the other half are definitely from mosquitoes. The buzzing sound and the swollen bumps after being bitten are annoying enough; what’s more worrying is that mosquitoes are carriers of many infectious diseases such as dengue fever and Zika virus, and are listed by the World Health Organization as the deadliest animal killer to humans. To get rid of mosquito infestations, countries around the world have taken their best measures—some rely on cutting-edge technology, some take an eco-friendly approach, and others build a defense line through nationwide joint efforts. Today, let’s take a look at how different countries control mosquitoes in their own unique ways～

 

Located near the equator, Singapore has a hot and rainy climate all year round with lush vegetation. Logically, it should be a "paradise" for mosquitoes, but with a comprehensive prevention and control system that has been in place for more than half a century, it has become one of the countries with the least mosquito infestations. Singapore’s war against mosquitoes starts with strict legislation. As early as 1968, the local government passed the Vector Control and Mosquito Prevention Act, which clearly stipulates that house owners and residents must clear stagnant water inside and outside their residences. Violators will face heavy fines, and repeat offenders may even be imprisoned.

To encourage full public participation, the National Environment Agency launched the well-known "B—L—O—C—K" five-step anti-mosquito mnemonic, simplifying complex prevention and control measures into easy-to-understand and actionable steps for every household, such as emptying flower pot saucers, inverting buckets, and cleaning roof drains. In terms of technological prevention and control, Singapore is even more at the forefront. In 2016, it launched the "Wolbachia Program," breeding male Aedes mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia bacteria and releasing them into the wild. When these male mosquitoes mate with wild female mosquitoes, the eggs laid cannot hatch, suppressing the mosquito population from the root. In addition, more than 70,000 "gravity traps" have been deployed across the island to accurately monitor Aedes mosquito density, allowing prevention and control efforts to be targeted and truly forming an ecological prevention and control loop of "fighting mosquitoes with mosquitoes."

Japan, which values environmental protection, has taken a distinctive "physical prevention and control" route in mosquito control, developing new anti-mosquito technologies that do not use insecticide ingredients. Research by Kao Corporation and the RIKEN Institute in Japan has found that using an aqueous solution of surfactants with low surface tension can effectively hinder mosquitoes’ normal flight and even suffocate them, rendering them unable to move.

The principle is simple: the surface of mosquitoes is covered with hydrophobic wax, so their wings and bodies are not easy to get wet, and ordinary water mist has no effect on their flight. However, the surfactant aqueous solution can quickly wet the mosquitoes’ wings and body surface, disrupting their wing flapping rhythm and making it difficult for them to maintain their flight posture; if a liquid with lower surface tension is used, it can also block the spiracles (small holes for breathing) on the mosquito’s body surface, causing them to suffocate to death. This physical mosquito control method has a completely different mechanism of action from traditional insecticides. Mosquitoes are not easy to develop resistance to it, and it will not pollute the environment, making it a promising long-term effective mosquito control solution.

Thailand has a tropical monsoon climate with lots of stagnant water during the rainy season, making dengue fever highly prevalent. Mosquitoes have long been a major threat to local public health. In the long-term struggle against mosquito infestations, Thailand has formed a nationwide joint defense model of "blocking the transmission chain + active protection," summarizing a set of scientific and practical anti-mosquito methods.

Environmental protection is the foundation. Thais regularly clean containers that may hold stagnant water, such as vases, buckets, and tires, to destroy mosquito breeding grounds from the root; at the same time, every household installs screen windows and hangs mosquito nets to physically block mosquitoes in the most direct way. In terms of chemical protection, Thais prefer natural plant ingredients. Mosquito repellent products made from extracts such as lemongrass and eucalyptus oil are safe and suitable for the hot and humid tropical environment, becoming a must-have for locals. In addition, the government regularly organizes community disinfection, schools and public places popularize anti-mosquito knowledge, and residents take the initiative to avoid the early morning and evening when mosquitoes are active, wearing light-colored long-sleeved clothes and pants when going out, forming an atmosphere of full public participation in mosquito control.

The United States’ approach to mosquito control is all about "full of technology." From drone "smart bombing" to laser cannon precision strikes, mosquito control has become a "high-tech battle." In the Florida Keys, due to the numerous islands and dense jungles and swamps, many areas are inaccessible to humans. Mosquitoes breed rapidly in stagnant water after rain, bringing great difficulties to prevention and control. To address this, the local government has deployed a new type of drone weighing only 0.9 kilograms, which flies at a low altitude of 60 meters for 90 minutes, monitors mosquito breeding puddles and ponds through infrared cameras, accurately locates the source of mosquito infestations, and then coordinates with helicopters to spray insecticides, achieving "smart bombing" mosquito control.

Even more amazing is the "mosquito-killing laser cannon" developed by the former Chief Technology Officer of Microsoft. This tool can distinguish the gender of mosquitoes through infrared rays and only attacks blood-sucking female mosquitoes—first identifying the target through infrared detection, confirming there are no obstacles, then emitting a lethal laser to shoot down the mosquito in an instant, with a 100% hit rate within 30 meters. Although this laser cannon is still in the laboratory testing stage, it fully reflects the bold attempts of the United States in mosquito control technology. In addition, the United States also implements an integrated mosquito management model, combining monitoring, stagnant water cleaning, larval control and other methods to scientifically reduce the number of mosquitoes.

To combat mosquito-borne diseases such as Zika fever and dengue fever, Brazil has adopted an eco-friendly and efficient mosquito control method—radiation sterilization technology. Developed by the International Atomic Energy Agency, this technology focuses on irradiating male mosquitoes to make them sterile, while still being able to mate with female mosquitoes.

Since male mosquitoes do not bite humans or animals, they are suitable for large-scale breeding and release. After mating with wild female mosquitoes, they cannot lay hatching eggs, thus greatly reducing the number of mosquitoes in local areas. This method is more eco-friendly than spraying pesticides and will not cause harm to the environment or human health. However, there is a small bottleneck at present: it is difficult for laboratories to separate male and female mosquitoes 100%, and occasionally a small number of blood-sucking female mosquitoes slip through the net, but the proportion is very low and has little impact on the overall mosquito control effect.

Costa Rica has chosen to carry out mosquito control operations with "biological agents," focusing on "precisely killing" mosquito larvae without harming humans or other organisms. The local Ministry of Health uses a bacterium called "spinosad," which is made into tablets and sprinkled in areas with stagnant water where mosquitoes breed. This bacterium can damage the nervous system of Aedes aegypti larvae, killing them within 48 hours, with a validity period of up to 10 weeks.

"Spinosad" only acts on mosquito larvae, does not kill adult mosquitoes, and is not toxic to humans, making it very suitable for use in crowded places such as hotels, schools, and factories. The Costa Rican government also recommends the nationwide popularization of this biological agent to reduce mosquito reproduction from the root and effectively resist the spread of infectious diseases such as dengue fever and Zika virus.

From Singapore’s nationwide joint governance and Japan’s physical black technology, to the United States’ laser cannons and Brazil’s radiation sterilization, the mosquito control methods of different countries are all combined with their own climate characteristics, technological level and social status. Some rely on strict laws and full public participation, some focus on high-tech hard-core prevention and control, and some take an eco-friendly route, but the core is to "reduce the number of mosquitoes from the root and block the spread of infectious diseases."

In fact, mosquito control has never been the responsibility of a single person, but a nationwide battle. Whether it is high-tech means or simple measures such as cleaning stagnant water and installing mosquito nets, as long as the right method is found and persisted in, we can get rid of the trouble of mosquito infestations. After reading these amazing anti-mosquito tricks from various countries, which method do you think is most suitable for us? Welcome to leave a comment and discuss～