If we could engineer and exterminate all ticks and mosquitos we’d all be so happy.

And dead cuz the food chain would collapse.

Had to ask ChatGPT what relies on ticks and mosquitoes to survive

Species that Rely on Ticks:

1. Bacteria: • Borrelia burgdorferi: The bacterium that causes Lyme disease, which relies on Ixodes ticks (deer ticks) for transmission. • Rickettsia rickettsii: The causative agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, transmitted by various tick species. 2. Protozoa: • Babesia: Various species of Babesia rely on ticks for transmission to vertebrate hosts, causing babesiosis.

Species that Rely on Mosquitoes:

1. Viruses: • Dengue virus: Relies on Aedes mosquitoes (especially Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus) for transmission. • Zika virus: Also transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes. • West Nile virus: Transmitted by several species of Culex mosquitoes. • Malaria parasite (Plasmodium spp.): The Plasmodium parasites, such as Plasmodium falciparum, rely on Anopheles mosquitoes for part of their life cycle. 2. Filarial Nematodes: • Wuchereria bancrofti: The causative agent of lymphatic filariasis, transmitted by Culex, Anopheles, and Aedes mosquitoes. • Brugia malayi: Another filarial nematode causing lymphatic filariasis, primarily transmitted by Mansonia and Anopheles mosquitoes.

In Australia, ticks are an important apex predator. They keep mammal populations in check so they don’t eat all the food and starve.

Here in Virginia, right outside of DC, and the ticks just give everyone Lymes. They are absolutely fucking everywhere too and it gets worse each year.