Why is the USDA using a microwave to kill mosquitoes?

By Mark HosenballPublished August 10, 2018 3:07:15The USDA is using a modified microwave to help control mosquitoes.

The USDA said on its website that the modified microwave, called a “flamethrower,” will help reduce the spread of dengue fever and other mosquito-borne diseases.

The microwave, which has a nozzle that can reach temperatures of about 300 degrees Fahrenheit, is being tested in a new experiment in Michigan, according to the USDA.

It will be deployed in the Great Lakes region next year, the agency said.

The USDA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Diseases spread by mosquitoes have killed more than 12,000 people in the U.S. in the past decade, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.