2023-05-09 12:03:00
The month of May marks the return of sunny days, but also that of mosquitoes. The latter spread in France approximately until October. During this period, the health authorities pay particular attention to the spread of tiger mosquitoes.
Indeed, if we tend not to make a difference between mosquitoes, there are actually nearly 3,500 species in the world. The tiger mosquito is one of them, and one of the most formidable. Native to Southeast Asia, it has been established in France since 2004. According to the Ministry of Health, as of January 1, it was present in 71 departments. But where exactly is he and why should we fear him?
Faced with the multitude of mosquito species, it is difficult to differentiate them. However, it is possible if you pay attention to it. The tiger mosquito is visually identifiable by its small size. ANSES (National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety) specifies: “The tiger mosquito is smaller than a 1 euro cent coin (i.e. less than 0.5 centimeters)“. Moreover, it is distinguished by its color. Thus it is white and black with a white dorsal line along the thorax. Its legs are also striped.
You can also recognize the tiger mosquito by the way it bites. Indeed, while most mosquitoes act at night, the tiger mosquito is diurnal and silent. “Unlike the common mosquito (Culex) which tends to bite at night and whose flight is noisy, the tiger mosquito is diurnal, i.e. it bites more during the day (mainly in the morning and evening) and silent”, details ANSES on its website.
Tiger mosquito: how to protect yourself?
Pour avoid the bite of the tiger mosquito, health authorities share several tips. First of all, to prevent the proliferation of the insect ANSES recommends:
- Empty and return the buckets, cups and vases;
- Store seals, gardening equipment and toys away from the rain;
- Cover the water collection containers ;
- And clean the gutters.
Despite these precautions, it can be difficult to avoid these insects if you are in one of the departments where it is strongly established. Thus, to protect yourself from the bite of the tiger mosquito, it is best to wear long, loose and light-colored clothing. This will push him back. Use skin repellents and mosquito nets can also help keep the insect awayand therefore the risk of bites.
Tiger mosquito: mistakes that attract it to your home
Unlike other species, the tiger mosquito lives mostly in urban areas and delights in closeness to humans. “Once installed in a municipality or department, it is practically impossible to get rid of it”, specifies the Ministry of Health.
His favorite place? THE stagnant waters, in which it will lay eggs, and where its larvae develop. The tiger mosquito also likes to take shelter in vegetation, such as hedges or tall grass.
To avoid them as much as possible, here are some common mistakes that tend to attract tiger mosquitoes:
- Not ventilating your home: Mosquitoes, and in particular the tiger mosquito, have great difficulty moving when there are air currents. The good trick ? Place a fan in front of your open windowso mosquitoes can’t get in when you air out;
- Leave stagnant water points in your garden: They are fond of stagnant water points, in which they will lay their eggs. In the garden, remember not to leave any container likely to fill with the next downpour : watering can, bucket, gutter, container… Even a simple bottle cap is enough. And also remember to regularly change the water in the bowl of your animals ;
- Leaving standing water spots in your home: Also in the house, it is better to remove sources of stagnant water, as mosquitoes can also breed there. Glass of water lying around on the table, cups under your potted plants, water leaking under the sink… These places can become a real breeding ground;
- Not maintaining your garden: “The tiger mosquito rests mainly in the vegetation”, indicates the site of the National Agency for Health and Food Security (Anses). “Maintaining your garden, pruning trees, clearing hedges and tall grassavoiding the storage of plant debris makes it possible to limit the resting places of the tiger mosquito”;
- Wear dark clothes: They are particularly attracted to dark colors, especially black, brown and dark blue. Note however that this factor only has an impact when this insect is already less than 1m50 from you;
- Hunting birds and bats: Insectivorous birds, such as the swallowsmake it possible to limit the proliferation of the tiger mosquito, in the same way as batswhich can eliminate more than 500 per night, again according to ANSES. Dragonflies also feed on mosquitoes in the larval or adult state;
- Using the wrong repellents: Currently, there are only four substances proven to repel mosquitoes: DEET, Icaridin, Citriodiol (PMDRBO) and IR3535. Among them, only Citriodiol is a natural product – it is a compound of the essential oil of lemon eucalyptus leaves. When you buy mosquito repellent from a pharmacy, make sure it contains one or more of these active ingredients.
Tiger mosquito bite: what are the dangers?
And mosquito bites are unpleasant from the pimples and irritations it causes, it can also be very harmful. Indeed, via its bite, it can transmit many viruses.
The Department of Health explains:By biting an infected person or animal, it ingests the parasites, viruses or bacteria contained in the blood. After an incubation period of a few days, the infected insect can transmit the pathogen to a healthy person during another bite“. In the case of tiger mosquitoes, the diseases transmitted can be serious.
Thus, the main diseases it can transmit are:
- Chikungunya: the most common symptoms are fever and joint pain.
- Dengue fever: like chikungunya, this disease is characterized by fever and joint pain. In some rare cases, complications can be life-threatening.
- Zika: “Symptoms are most often mild but the virus can cause birth defects if infected during pregnancy“, specifies Public Health France.
Thus, because of the dangers it represents for humans, the tiger mosquito: “is subject to surveillance by the authorities, in particular through the Signalement-moustique website“, explains ANSES. But which departments are concerned by the presence of tiger mosquitoes.
Tiger mosquito: where is it implanted?
“In metropolitan France in 2023, the tiger mosquito is present in 71 departments“, estimates ANSES. Thus, in all metropolitan departments, only 24 are not placed on red or orange alert by the health authorities. The departments not concerned by the presence of the tiger mosquito are the following:
- The Creuse;
- Finistere;
- The Côtes d’Armor;
- Morbihan;
- The English Channel;
- Calvados;
- L’Orne ;
- the Sarthe;
- Eure-et-Loir;
- Eure;
- the Oise;
- The Somme;
- Pas-de-Calais;
- The North ;
- The Ardennes ;
- The Marne;
- Dawn ;
- The Yonne;
- The Meuse ;
- Haute-Marne;
- The Moselle;
- The Vosges ;
- Haute-Saone.
All the other departments are affected by the tiger mosquitoes. However, they are not all the same. “The departments in which the tiger mosquito is established and active are divided into 2 categories, the weakly colonized departments (if less than 40% of the communes of the department are colonized) and heavily colonized departments (if at least 40% of the communes of the department are colonized)”, specifies the Ministry of Health. The departments less colonized by tiger mosquitoes are therefore the northernmost departments, because they are attracted to heat and peri-urban areas.
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