Lab-bred mosquitos are Miami’s newest weapon against Zika

There’s a new weapon in the fight against Zika. Miami-Dade County Mosquito Control and Habitat Management Division is partnering with a company called MosquitoMate for a trial program that will use lab-bred mosquitos in an attempt to suppress the mosquito population.

Here’s how it works, according to CBS Miami: MosquitoMate breeds male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes with the naturally occurring Wolbachia bacteria (male mosquitos don't bite, and this bacteria isn’t harmful to humans). When these lab-bred mosquitos mate with female mosquitos in the wild, the offspring won’t live to adulthood.

The test is going to happen in South Miami this week. MosquitoMate’s tried this in other cities, including Key West. The results of that trial from last spring in Key west are still pending, due to Hurricane Irma’s landfall that interrupted the test.

• Lab-Bred, Bacteria-Infected Mosquitoes To Be Used To Help Combat Zika [CBS Miami]
• Mosquito Mate [Official Site]
• Miami’s getting an aerial spray of naled Friday night to fight mosquitoes (updated) [CBS Miami]