●Tech firm’s “Debug” programme uses wolbachia bacteria to shrink mosquito population without pesticides
Google has asked US regulators for permission to release up to 32 million sterilized male mosquitoes in California and Florida as part of its effort to curb diseases spread by mosquitoes.
The tech company, through its “Debug” programme, told the US Environmental Protection Agency , EPA, it wants to release up to 16 million mosquitoes annually in the two states over two years. The EPA is reviewing the request for an experimental use permit, with a public comment period ending June 5, 2026.
–“Stop bad bugs with good bugs”–
Google says male mosquitoes don’t bite or carry disease. Its approach uses wolbachia, a naturally occurring bacteria that makes male mosquitoes sterile. When an infected male mates with a wild female, her eggs won’t hatch. “The population gets smaller with each generation,” Google explained in a blogpost.
The world’s deadliest animal, mosquitoes kill more people each year than any other creature by spreading dengue, West Nile virus, Zika, chikungunya, yellow fever and malaria.
Google’s parent company Alphabet is no stranger to science. Verily Health, which began as a Google X “moonshot,” drove the Debug programme for years before Google fully acquired it in December 2024.
The company says traditional methods like pesticides are toxic and lose effectiveness, while clearing all mosquito breeding sites is nearly impossible. Debug instead uses AI-powered computer vision and automated rearing systems to separate male from female mosquitoes and release them “in the right place and in the right numbers.”
Google is focusing first on Aedes aegypti the species responsible for most dengue, Zika, yellow fever and chikungunya cases. The sterile insect technique it’s using has been applied to other pests for decades.
–Results in Singapore–
Theprogramme has already shown results abroad. Citing Singapore’s National Environment Agency, Google said releasing millions of male wolbachia mosquitoes there achieved 80-90% suppression of Aedes aegypti and more than 70% reduction in dengue cases after 6-12 months. In May 2026 Google announced plans to expand the Singapore facility, calling it a model for Asia where 70% of global dengue burden occurs.
“When we first launched Debug in Singapore, our goal was to advance mosquito production and releases through technology,” said Linus Upson, head of Debug. “Our success in Singapore gives us the confidence to expand.”
[Rewritten report culled from The Guardian UK]
