Agen: The city at war against the tiger mosquito

Summer is coming early and with it, the tiger mosquito. Eleven departments of New Aquitaine are colonized by the small insect which takes advantage of the smallest body of water to proliferate.

With the rise in temperatures, we indulge in dressing lighter and it does not take long to itch. Whose fault is it ? To mosquitoes and more particularly to the latest arrival on the territory, the tiger mosquito. To counter this comeback, the Agenais can now see a fairly eloquent campaign with a crushed mosquito: “The mosquito, that’s how we like it”. It is not surprising to see such a countryside in the heart of the city: the tiger mosquito is essentially urban. Its anthropophilic character (which likes places inhabited by man, editor’s note) explains that once installed in a municipality or a department, it is practically impossible to get rid of it. A real summer scourge, this little insect no bigger than a penny comes noiselessly to disrupt our evenings with well-sent bites. Problem, it can be a carrier of many tropical diseases such as dengue fever (two cases had been identified in the Southeast in 2021), chikungunya or the Zika virus. In addition, he is a clever little guy who is particularly tough when it comes to finding a place to deposit his larvae.

How to fight against its proliferation?

To reduce the risk of having mosquitoes at home as much as possible and thereby to fight against their establishment, there are simple actions to take recommended by the ARS Nouvelle Aquitaine. First of all, the most effective protection against the tiger mosquito is to get rid of all potential stagnant water reservoirs in your garden. This is where the larvae develop. Note that in cases where a water collector is in your garden, even if it is closed, it is advisable to check the water. Mosquitoes creep in everywhere, so it is advisable to close access to the tank with small mosquito nets or fabrics stretched over the gutters. A little tip for the water that would stagnate in your flower cups: it is advisable to put sand there. In these cases, even if the liquid stagnates, the mosquito will not be able to lay eggs in it. There are also nest trap models designed to trap mosquito larvae. Each action taken to limit the laying of mosquitoes makes it possible to fight more generally against its spread.

Then, to avoid bites, the best ways, in addition to sprays and other mosquito repellent roll-ons, are to wear loose, light-colored clothing or, more simply, to install a fan that disturbs the little beast in its intention to bite.

It is also possible for individuals to report the presence of tiger mosquitoes in their homes in order to allow the health authorities to follow the development of the insect on https://signalementmoustique.anses.fr/signalement_albopictus/signalements

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