Technology company Google has proposed releasing 32 million laboratory-bred male mosquitoes in the US states of Florida and California over two years to reduce mosquito-borne diseases. The company applied for government approval in December 2025, and the proposal is currently under review by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The initiative is part of Google’s ‘Debug’ project, launched in 2014 to use technology for controlling disease-spreading mosquito populations and lowering health risks.

Under the plan, Google’s scientific division will infect male mosquitoes with a bacterium called Wolbachia pipientis. When these infected males mate with wild female mosquitoes, their eggs will not hatch, gradually reducing mosquito populations and limiting virus transmission. Since only female mosquitoes bite humans, the release of these males poses no risk of increased mosquito nuisance.

The project will proceed in two phases, releasing 16 million sterile males each year. However, the specific trial locations and start date have not been disclosed in the application.