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Among the threats we worry about at the southern border, the one that has posed the greatest danger to the greatest number of lives over the course of history is not subject to immigration policies and not deterred by tough talk or fencing, one that in fact thrives,

almost invisibly in parks and public spaces and in the literal backyards of law-abiding citizens. This tiny dangerous thing? Mosquitoes. From KERA in Dallas, this is think. I'm Chris

Boyd.

To be clear, most mosquito species in most parts of the country can make us itch but don't make us ill.

Diseases like malaria and yellow fever have not posed serious hazards in the U.S. for a long

time.

But climate change and real estate development projects are changing where potentially troublesome mosquitoes can live.

And my guest spent some time with a small team of people in the smallish city of Brownsville, Texas,

whose work keeping these insects under control could be a model for how the rest of the country responds to changing conditions.

Umair Irfan is a correspondent at Vox covering energy policy, climate change, and science.

His recent article is titled Mosquitoes at the U.S. Southern border reveal a frightening

reality about climate change.

Umair, welcome to think.

Hi, thanks for having me.

So there are a number of different species of

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