So, have you already had a visit from the “tiger mosquito police” this year? In our town of Heidelberg, friendly emissaries from the city regularly show up at the door asking about puddles and pools in the garden. The idea is to find the breeding grounds of larvae of the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) — because the bite of the tiger mosquito is not only unpleasant, but can also bring dangerous infectious diseases.
The Asian tiger mosquito originally comes from Southeast Asia, and in Germany it feels particularly at home in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. The small, unfortunately very stinging pests transmit about 20 pathogens, including tropical diseases such as dengue or chikungunya fever. So far, there have been no known cases of transmission of these diseases in Germany, but as temperatures rise, they are becoming more and more likely.
How can we combat the striped bloodsuckers?
Containers such as rain barrels, trivets or watering cans can easily be rendered useless as breeding grounds by covering them or emptying them regularly. A professional control measure is to apply a biological protein agent (BTI) to the breeding waters, which kills mosquito larvae but does not harm all other animals and plants or humans.
Once tiger mosquitoes are on the move, the risk of biting can be reduced through a variety of measures: Fly screens prevent them from entering the house, and the smell of sweat, which attracts the insects, can be counteracted by regular showers. In addition, it helps to avoid strongly scented shower gels, perfumes, or cosmetics. Body covering with clothing also makes it harder for mosquitoes to bite. Light-colored fabrics are better, as mosquitoes are more likely to fly onto dark clothing.
Information on the tiger mosquito from the Baden-Württemberg Health Department:
https://www.gesundheitsamt-bw.de/lga/de/kompetenzzentren-netzwerke/arbo-baden-wuerttemberg/informationen-zur-tigermuecke/