As summer draws to a close, tiger mosquitoes remain particularly present and virulent at the foot of the Pyrenees. they are even at the origin of an outbreak of dengue fever. Medical entomologist at Altopictus, a company specializing in the treatment of these insects, Guillaume Lacour gives some advice.
With three of his colleagues, Guillaume Lacour, medical entomologist at Altopictus, carried out the mosquito control operation in Rabastens-de-Bigorre, in the Hautes-Pyrénées, on the night of Monday to Tuesday. A department where the company mandated by the ARS has intervened several dozen times already this summer, following the discovery of an indigenous focus of dengue fever in Andrest. “We are not fighting against nuisance but against the epidemic, he specifies. It is a public health intervention. Females are targeted because they are the ones that bite and could carry the virus. Thanks to the participation of the inhabitants, the area could be treated well. We were able to access the breeding sites on foot, in addition to spraying from a vehicle. We saw a lot of larvae last night in downspouts, flower pots, buckets or in the thick vegetation… In each garden where we entered there was at least one breeding site and in some many more. After the treatment is not 100% effective, since there are areas where we cannot intervene.”
Lemongrass ineffective
So the technician appeals to everyone’s responsibility to limit the circulation of tiger mosquitoes and in the Val d’Adour, the transmission of the virus. “People have to be vigilant and avoid bites. Not with lemongrass, which is ineffective against tiger mosquitoes, but with skin repellent bought in pharmacies. Or else they cover up as much as possible, even if the weather does not lend itself to it too much… Always have an electric racket at hand…»
Boiling water to kill larvae
Another advice from this specialist to limit proliferation: dry out the plots as much as possible. “We must avoid flooding, especially after the storms at the start of the week.” Downspouts, buckets, flower pots are all reservoirs for insects. “For areas that are more difficult to dry, such as downspouts for example, do not hesitate to spray them with boiling water to kill the larvae. “Once a week is enough to stop reproduction mosquitoes.”