Agen: The city is at war with the tiger mosquito

As the temperatures rise, we indulge in wearing lighter clothes and it doesn’t take long for us to feel itchy. Whose fault is it? to mosquitoes and more specifically to the last arrival in the territory, the tiger mosquito. To counteract this return, the Agenais family can now see a rather eloquent advertising campaign with a gnawed mosquito: “Mosquito, this is how we love it.” It is not surprising to see such countryside in the heart of the city: the tiger mosquito is essentially urban. Their anthropophilic character (who loves human inhabited places, editor’s note) explains that once they are installed in a municipality or department, they are virtually impossible to get rid of. A true summer pest, this tiny insect no bigger than a penny comes in noiseless to disrupt our evenings with well-transmitted bites. The problem is, they can be carriers of several tropical diseases such as dengue fever (two cases were identified in the Southeast in 2021), chikungunya or the Zika virus. In addition, he is a smart little guy and is particularly tricky when it comes to finding a place to deposit his larvae.

How do we fight its spread?

To reduce the risk of mosquitoes in the house as much as possible and thus to combat its formation, there are simple measures to be taken recommended by ARS Nouvelle Aquitaine. First of all, the most effective protection against tiger mosquito is to get rid of all possible stagnant water tanks in your garden. This is where the larvae develop. Note that in cases where the water collector is in your garden, even if it is closed, it is advisable to check the water. Mosquitoes crawl everywhere, so it is advisable to close access to the tank with mosquito nets or small tarps stretched over the gutters. A little tip for water that may freeze in 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 models of random traps designed to catch mosquito larvae. Every measure taken to reduce the spread of mosquitoes makes it possible to combat its spread in general.

Then, to avoid bites, the best methods, in addition to sprays and other mosquito repellent rollers, are to wear loose-fitting, light-coloured clothing or, simply, to install a fan that annoys the little monster with its intent to bite it. .

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