Staff members of the International Atomic Energy Agency, a UN body, release sterile male mosquitoes in Graz, Austria, in August 2025 to suppress invasive mosquito populations. [IAEA]
Staff members of the International Atomic Energy Agency, a UN body, release sterile male mosquitoes in Graz, Austria, in August 2025 to suppress invasive mosquito populations. [IAEA]

Google is pursuing a plan to release up to 32 million sterile mosquitoes in Florida and California over the next two years to curb the spread of mosquito-borne diseases.

The company has applied to the US Environmental Protection Agency for approval to carry out the mass release, according to the New York Post, WBNS and other outlets. Reports cited Thursday local time.

The project is part of "Debug," a mosquito-control research program Google has run for roughly a decade. Its goal is to reduce populations of disease-carrying mosquitoes and slow the spread of infectious illness.

The approach involves infecting male mosquitoes with Wolbachia, a naturally occurring bacterium that renders them sterile. When these treated males mate with wild females, the eggs fail to hatch, gradually driving down the overall mosquito population. Experts note that only female mosquitoes bite humans, meaning the release would not increase the number of biting insects.

Researchers said the proposal targets Culex mosquitoes, a species known to transmit West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis. West Nile virus is the most common mosquito-borne disease in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Chad Huff, a public information officer at the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District, told 10 Tampa Bay News that Wolbachia poses no risk to humans. "You can get mosquitoes that are infected with Wolbachia, and it's only dangerous to the mosquito itself — there's no transmission to people," he said. He added that when a Wolbachia-infected male mates with a female, reproduction is blocked. "That can lead to a reduction in the mosquito population," he said.

Huff said pilot tests in select areas have already shown promising results. "Last summer we picked a few areas and did a trial run, and the results were quite encouraging," he said. "We definitely saw a decline in certain zones."

Public reaction has been mixed, however. Some residents expressed support, saying they would back the plan if its effectiveness is proven and that reducing mosquitoes is the top priority. Others voiced concern, saying they were uneasy about releasing such insects near their homes and worried about unforeseen consequences.

The EPA is reviewing Google's experimental use permit application under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. The agency is accepting public comments through June 5 before deciding whether to grant approval.

If the plan is approved, the EPA said up to 16 million mosquitoes would be released in Florida in the first year, with an additional 16 million released in California in the second year.


bbo@heraldcorp.com