2024-03-26 20:53:34
Published26. March 2024, 9:53 p.m.
Tiger mosquito: Fight against the invader: Geneva shuns training
While a course intended to limit the spread of the pest takes place this Wednesday, several municipalities at the end of the lake, the first French-speaking canton affected, have ignored it.
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This Wednesday, a training course like no other is taking place in Lausanne: a course dedicated to the fight against the tiger mosquito. Participants, mainly municipal employees, will obtain a permit to use a treatment reserved for professionals, i.e. sesame, in order to effectively limit the spread of the insect, particularly in Geneva, where it has invaded more than ten municipalities. last year.
A lack of responsiveness
However, to the surprise of Daniel Cherix, head of the Vaudois control program and speaker in the course, “only some of the municipalities victims of mosquito have registered. Some did not react quickly enough,” regrets the expert, for whom “training municipal staff is essential, because they are the ones who know the terrain best.”
The Vaud Health Department also financially supports the training of municipal employees. This year, six municipalities are participating.
Waiting for a specialist
How to explain the disinterest of the Genevans? Contacted, the City of Geneva said it was awaiting the arrival, on April 1, of a collaborator hired specifically to eradicate this insect in order to study the issue.
Problem: apart from today’s training, “no other session is currently planned this year in French-speaking Switzerland”, indicates Isabelle Landau, from the Swiss Federation of Disinfesters, organizer of the course.
We prefer to delegate
The manager specifies, however, that the authorities can call on external service providers, “but this comes at a cost”.
This is the option chosen in the municipality of Thônex, which had one of the highest rates of reports in 2023. In Onex, the authorities also preferred “to turn to disinfestation companies which already have approved personnel. A call for tenders is underway.”
An interesting, but uncertain alternative
“It’s an interesting alternative,” confirms Gottlieb Dandliker, cantonal wildlife inspector. But we still need to find the companies that are willing and able to take it on. In Geneva, qualified disinfesters often work in small or medium-sized structures which have never had to do this before. In addition, the needs of the municipalities will converge over the same periods, treatments being recommended in May, July and September.
“There are even French people registered”
The training, which costs 900 francs, is a great success. “We have 24 people from the cantons of Geneva, Vaud and Valais. We even have French people, from Ain,” rejoices Daniel Cherix. At the end of the course, participants will be able to use the treatment reserved for professionals, namely Vectomax. “Unlike other products, this biocide has a long-lasting action which has shown its effectiveness among our neighbors in Ticino. One treatment every eight weeks is enough. In addition, once an employee benefits from the permit, he or she can instruct other employees,” explains the Vaudois expert, who also calls on the population to join the authorities’ efforts.
The tiger mosquito is a particularly invasive, aggressive species and vector of diseases (dengue, zika and even chikungunya). The pest was first detected in French-speaking Switzerland in Geneva in 2019. It has spread to a lesser extent in the cantons of Vaud and Valais.
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