They're among the most unloved insects out there, and in the Bay area, we have a lot of them.
Now new research by the University of South Florida is being done locally to try and control the mosquito problem.
"We definitely want to prove that there is some kind of bacteria in there that scientists currently aren’t aware of,” said Zach Nemitz, a senior at USF Sarasota-Manatee.
Nemitz and some other students at the school are starting a new study with their biology professor to learn more about mosquitoes and what can be done to control them.
“We are stuck with mosquitoes because they are so talented at what they do," said Dr. Aparna Telang, an assistant professor of biology. “They are hardy creatures and they know how to survive and they know how to reproduce really well.”
From a small lab on campus, the group is now observing more than 100 mosquitoes and their eggs.
The students are studying how parasites can live inside the insect, all while remaining immune to the deadly diseases they transmit to humans.
“I want to learn more about mosquitoes immune system and how just the relationship between a pathogen or parasite and mosquito,” said Ruby Ramos, a freshman at USF Sarasota-Manatee.
With dengue fever and the West Nile virus in Florida, researchers statewide are trying to find ways to control the mosquito borne diseases and quite possibly eradicate them.
“In my lab, we’re going to be looking at basic biology because the more you know about mosquitoes, the more you figure out what makes them susceptible and what makes them stronger,” Telang said.
It's hands on-experience these science lovers wouldn't normally get to see in a classroom.
This will be an ongoing study.
Telang hopes to publish her findings in about two years.