Professor Adeolu Taiwo Ande, a professor of
Entomology at the University of Ilorin, has decried the killing mosquitoes,
saying the insects are friends to humans that deserved to be properly managed.
Prof Ande made this statement on Monday in University
of Ilorin, in the 169th Inaugural Lecture of the University titled,
“Consider the ways of Ants and be Wise”
The entomologist described insects as the “most successful and influential group’’
of organisms in the biosphere. He said humans had a lot to learn from insects
in order to be wise.
‘Human life is overwhelmed with inevitable
associations with insects that have over the years influenced human destiny
positively and negatively’.
Negative influences, such as disease
transmission, crop losses, food spoilage, economic losses and nuisance value
caused by less than 5 per cent of insect species have been exaggerated by man’.
He said that positive influences of insects are
not unappreciated and downplayed, some of which are;
pollination
of flowers, waste recycling and sustenance of the ecosystem. Others, he said,
include source of silk, shellac, cochineal, therapeutic agents, aesthetics,
biological control agents and food source.
Professor Ande said that man intentionally
misunderstood the role of mosquitoes and frequently described them as causing
the diseases they transmit. He said: ‘in the actual sense, mosquitoes are
equally sick but inadvertently and unwillingly convey pathogens that are the
real causal agents of these diseases’.
Prof Ande said, that the female mosquito can be
described as an example of a True Mother
which he draw a number of good lessons from;
- The adult female mosquitoes have exceptional
value for child raising hence the level of commitment and risk they take on the
mission that entails decision between life and death.
- The after effect of this commitment is a well
thought out plan that forestalls most of the factors that may stand in the way
of raising good children.
- “I am sure most human females will not take
comparable decision in the face of similar attendant risks”.
- It is however certain that children born after
well thought out and risky conditions are better posited for quality living
than those produced carelessly.
- For the
human race to improve our dear ladies must view child bearing as a serious
business that requires fortified planning aimed at providing and ensuring
quality living and survival of our offspring.
- This will
drastically reduce the incidences of unwanted pregnancies, street children and
will surely checkmate population explosion constructively.
Prof Ande said that mosquitoes had proved over
the years that they are our friends and allies, adding that if we like them or
not, they would exist and continue to source blood from humans.
He said that zoologists were expected to be the
foster parents of animals in the Zoo, adding that they should be familiar with
their needs and their health status.
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