Scientists are fighting mosquito-born illnesses, like dengue, yellow fever and Zika, by turning male insects deaf, thus making them struggle to mate and breed.
Mosquitoes have sex while flying in midair, with the males relying on their hearing to hear the females’ wingbeats, according to the BBC. The females spread the diseases to people, so preventing them from having babies could potentially reduce their numbers.
Scientists are hoping the plan doesn’t fall on deaf ears.