An innovative program has nearly eradicated the insects on the late actor’s private island, no pesticides or genetic engineering needed.
Marlon Brando’s private atoll of Tetiaroa in French Polynesia is home to a highly successful mosquito control program that nearly eradicated the invasive Aedes polynesiensis species without using pesticides or genetic engineering. Led by the Tetiaroa Society and researcher Hervé Bossin, the program utilizes the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) combined with Wolbachia bacteria. Scientists breed male mosquitoes infected with a specific strain of Wolbachia and release them into the wild; when these males mate with wild females, the resulting eggs fail to hatch due to cytoplasmic incompatibility. This non-chemical method collapsed the local mosquito population within six months, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional insecticides for controlling disease vectors like dengue, Zika, and chikungunya.