Google Wants to Fight Mosquitoes With More Mosquitoes

LOUISIANA - When it comes to Summertime in Louisiana, you know mosquitoes aren't just annoying, they can actually pose a legitimate health risk. A new plan connected to Google's parent company is turning heads across the country. A project backed by Alphabet is seeking federal approval to release up to 32 million specially treated mosquitoes in parts of Florida and California over the next two years in an effort to reduce mosquito-borne diseases.

Why is releasing 32 million "good mosquitoes" a good thing, and why should Louisiana be paying attention to this project? Let's take a look...

Why Would Anyone Release More Mosquitoes?

At first glance, releasing millions of mosquitoes sounds like the exact opposite of what most people want...but, there's an interesting twist.

According to thehill.com , mosquitoes involved in the project are male mosquitoes that carry a naturally occurring bacteria called Wolbachia. When these males mate with wild female mosquitoes, the eggs fail to hatch, gradually reducing the local mosquito population over time. Researchers say only males would be released, and male mosquitoes do not bite humans.

READ MORE: What Are the Symptoms of West Nile Virus?

The goal isn't to actually increase mosquito numbers. It's to shrink future populations by disrupting breeding.

Google's 'Debug' Project Has Been Working On This For Years

Google's mosquito program is known as "Debug," an initiative that has been working on technology designed to fight mosquito-borne illnesses for more than a decade. The program combines science, automation, artificial intelligence, and large-scale mosquito production systems to target disease-carrying mosquito populations.

Google scientists via thehill.com -

'Similar approaches have been used to safely combat other pests for decades. We’re combining the Debug team’s scientific and engineering expertise with the help of international partners to raise and release lots of good bugs and stop bad mosquitoes that can spread disease.'

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Could This Help Louisiana's Mosquito Problem?

Louisiana isn't listed among the proposed release locations at this point, but the concept certainly raises questions. Louisiana's combination of heat, humidity, frequent rainfall, bayous, swamps, and standing water creates ideal breeding conditions for mosquitoes throughout much of the year.

READ MORE: Experts Warn Louisiana to Brace for Intense Mosquito Season

Federal Regulators Still Have To Approve The Plan

Before any mosquitoes are released, the proposal must be approved U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The plan calls for a rollout over two years, allowing researchers to monitor results and evaluate the program's effectiveness. Exact release locations have not yet been publicly identified.

Is this one of those ideas that sounds so crazy it just might work? If I'm being honest, once I read the reasons why they want to release millions of mosquitoes, it made sense. If it gets approved by the EPA and proves to be effective, would you want to see this happen in Louisiana?

Read more at debug.com.