By Phil Haunhorst
Publication Date: 2026-05-31 19:07:00
Google’s Debug initiative has asked the US Environmental Protection Agency to approve the release of up to 32 million Wolbachia-treated male mosquitoes in Florida over two years.
The proposal sits under EPA docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2025-3951. The public comment period closes on June 5, after which the agency will decide whether to approve, deny, or place conditions on the test.
The application is part of a wider experimental-use request from Google LLC. It also includes a similar release plan for California.
In Florida, Google proposes releasing up to 16 million male mosquitoes in the first year and another 16 million in the second year. California would see the same maximum release volume under the same application.
Deadliest Animals Worldwide by Annual Number of Human Deaths as of 2024. Source: Statista
What Google’s EPA Filing Covers
The EPA notice identifies the mosquitoes as male Culex quinquefasciatus carrying Wolbachia pipientis wAlbB.
Culex quinquefasciatus, often called the southern…
