To guard the city dwellers from mosquito nuisance, authorities of Mymensingh City of Bangladesh have freed 2000 frogs in a canal of the city. The use of frogs and tadpoles for disease vector control is still largely unexplored. Frogs are an important part of the ecosystem with a role for insect and pest control including mosquitoes. Available information suggests the existence of many direct and indirect factors affecting the growth and survival of both prey and predators. Other controphic species that have influence on this relationship also show considerable effect. Still, the associations of different prey and predator relationships in the environment to assess the feasibility of use of a species as biocontrol agent for vector control and management. It is when the tadpoles reach adulthood that their preference for insects begins to truly develop. Smaller frogs tend to stick with eating insects like flies, mosquitoes, moths, and dragonflies. The larger frogs, however, can eat grasshoppers and worms and may even consume small snakes, mice, baby turtles, and smaller frogs. Interestingly enough, they will also typically choose to starve before eating a dead animal or insect. As such, while it is possible that an adult frog may consume mosquitoes, they do not do so at a scale that will greatly impact the mosquito population. At least, not alone, they won’t. There is, however, another aspect of how frogs may inhibit the growth of mosquito larvae and thus the mosquito population.

Reference

1. Raghavendra K, Sharma P, Dash AP. Biological control of mosquito populations through frogs: opportunities & constrains. Indian J Med Res. 2008 Jul;128(1):22-5. PMID: 18820354.

2. Dailystar