Summer Buzz: Fewer Mosquitoes for Now, but Watch Out! 🔥🦟
Relatively low mosquito count yet, but no sign of complete summer safety. - Few mosquitoes have emerged so far, yet no summertime warning issued
Don't break out the bug spray just yet! Our buddies, the pesky mosquitoes, seem to be taking a breather this spring. So, why the silence of the itchy symphony? Renke Lühken from the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine in Hamburg explains, "Due to the severe drought, we've got fewer breeding spots, which means fewer mosquitoes!" Wetlands and breeding pools, like rain barrels, are shrinking, leaving a shortage of mosquito-friendly habitats.
This news comes from various observers, with Carsten Pusch, deputy state chairman of the Nature Conservation Union (NABU) in Schleswig-Holstein, adding his confirmation, "I've never seen so few mosquitoes in a year as I have this year!"
But wait, summer isn't canceled! Lühken warns, "The dry spring doesn't necessarily mean a mosquito-free summer. You can still have a swarm of the bloodthirsty beasts in July or August." The so-called flood mosquitoes, whose eggs can withstand several years of drought, could wreak havoc if it rains heavily.
While the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes Albopictus), which is now lurking in Germany, isn't the culprit for this summer lull, it remains a cause for concern. Lühken shares, "This species has been entrenched in southern Germany for almost ten years now, with Berlin being the northernmost population." The Asian tiger mosquito's expansion is only likely to continue, potentially bringing tropical viruses to our backyard.
If you come across a tiny, lighter-colored mosquito with black stripes, white spots on its legs, and a white line down its thorax, it might be an Asian tiger mosquito. Keep a cool head, plop it in a safe container, and freeze it overnight before sending it to the authorities if you suspect you've caught one in Berlin.
Extra Buzz: Asian Tiger Mosquito in Germany 🦠
Originally found near the German-Swiss border in 2007, the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) has been making headway across multiple federal states, including Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Thuringia[5]. The mosquito's population has been indeed on the rise since 2015, with sightings reported across regions[5]. Its adaptation to German conditions, such as mild winters, allows it to proliferate during warm summer months[5].
Asian tiger mosquitoes can transmit several diseases, including dengue fever, chikungunya, and Zika virus, which are causing concern as the mosquito spreads and the climate changes[1][2][4].
EC countries might want to reconsider their employment policy, particularly in the field of environmental science, to address the growing issue of Asian tiger mosquito infestation. Vocational training programs focusing on health-and-wellness, environmental science, and pest control could be beneficial for the workforce in dealing with this problem effectively.
