California needs to go nuclear on mosquitos and we have the solution

Artificial Intelligence has a major PR problem right now, but if tech bros want to rebrand their maligned technology, they should solve a critical problem all of Southern California is struggling with:Ankle biters. And no, I don’t mean the guy who pitches his screenplay to everyone at brunch in WeHo.I’m talking about Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

They’re teeny, bite day and night, can make hundreds of babies in a tiny bottle cap, and feed on feet in a city that lives in sandals all year long.   The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.Please provide a valid email.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story I’ve lived in Southern California for most of my life — minus a decade in San Francisco’s tech scene — and it’s never been this horrible.

That’s because our warm-weather whiplash, the horrid humidity and the El Niño have kept Aedes happily breeding year-round. And those slutty little Draculas are still getting it on like they’re in an episode of Love Island.They’re worse than that lovable Culex mosquito variety we grew up with, because those only come out at night and at dusk, and prefer birds over ankles. These new guys are out biting all day long, and creating bigger welts.They love human blood, and bite you multiple times, often around your feet. Aedes are making themselves quite at home year-round now. While visiting my folks in the San Fernando Valley, the mosquitoes ran us off the patio at The Rib Ranch, a local favorite.

We moved inside, and they followed us in (I guess they love that place just as much as true Angelenos). It made the weekend trip unbearable, because we couldn’t even go for a walk without getting hounded.I thought it was bad where I live in Temecula wine country, since it’s more rural, but this was 10 times worse. And they’re not just a nuisance — they can give you dengue, chik...