Dear Yahoo!:

Dear Yahoo!:
Do mosquitoes play a single positive role in the world?
James
Union, South Carolina

Dear James:
More annoying than younger siblings, mosquitoes have been pestering the animal kingdom for over 30 million years according to HowStuffWorks. During that time, you'd think the bloodsuckers would have figured out how to do at least one good thing in this crazy world of ours. Not surprisingly, it turns out they do play a role in the circle of life.

Mosquitoes feast on the blood of mammals, and they, in turn, are feasted upon by other animals. The University of Arizona Insect Science Education Outreach presents a short summary of the positive effects mosquitoes have on the ecosystem. Turns out the larvae and pupae of mosquitoes are attractive food for fish and other aquatic insects, while the adults provide a tasty meal for birds, bats, spiders, and dragonflies.

Besides providing snack food for larger predators, the pesky bugs also feed on bacteria and algae, removing them from rocks, plants, and water.

So do these benefits outweigh the fact that they transmit disease to more than 700 million people every year? We hate to question Mother Nature, but no matter how hard we try, we just can't bring ourselves to appreciate the critters.