Hot days adé: mosquito plague in Hessen - what now?

Hot days adé: mosquito plague in Hessen - what now?

The oppressive heat of the past few days in Offenbach and Hanau is finally over. According to the German Weather Service (DWD), the residents can count on milder temperatures in the inside until the middle of the week. Monday, June 16 already brought some sun rays with itself and temperatures between 22 and 25 degrees, while it was cooler in higher regions. On Tuesday, June 17, the thermometer even rose up to 29 degrees before climbing up to 31 degrees in Northern Hesse to 27 to 29 degrees in Northern Hesse on Wednesday, June 18. Inhale and breathe - summer weather spreads out, but there is also a shadow: the mosquito plague is approaching.

heavy rains at the beginning of the month led to an unexpected increase in the mosquito population in many parts of Hesse. The Auwald mosquitoes need such flood events to develop. Flooded areas offered ideal slip facilities for the larvae, with concentrations of up to 200 larvae per liter. With such numbers you should prepare yourself for the summer. Not only in Hesse, but also in other federal states such as Bavaria and Lower Saxony, there are concerns about the early activity of the mosquitoes, which is favored by the mild winter and the continued rainfall, so ludwigshafen24 .

measures against the plague

In order to counteract the rising mosquito population, control measures began on Pentecost weekend. Targeted treatments were carried out with the biological active ingredient BTI, which is mainly used in the Rheinauen. These measures already show initial successes, as positive samples show that show a significant reduction in the larval population. Smaller areas were treated on foot while the egg granulate was applied with helicopters. In particular, the Rastatt region and the surroundings of Karlsruhe were in the focus of fighting, reports op-online .

However, the measures of the authorities do not encounter approval everywhere. Some conservationists are skeptical about the use of BTI, since in other places, such as at Lake Constance, are not used in order not to endanger the ecosystem. Instead, experts such as the NABU recommend removing standing water points in gardens in order to make it difficult to increase the mosquitoes. But plants such as lavender or citronella can also offer certain immune system, even if the scientific deposit of their effectiveness is rather incomplete.

remain vigilant

But not only the mosquito plague is worried. The effects of the increasing mosquito population on health should also not be underestimated. While the Asian tiger mosquito has caused excitement in the past, no autochthonous illnesses have so far been documented in Germany by the domestic mosquitoes. However, experts from the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) warn of the West Nil virus, which has been increasingly transmitted by domestic mosquitoes since 2019. For all garden owners who want to become active themselves, there are now approved biocide products for fighter mosquitoes, which should not show any negative environmental impacts if they are applied correctly, according to the UBA in a Report .

A look at the gardens and parks is now essential in order to be able to prepare yourself preventively. It remains to be seen whether it helps to actively get the mosquito plague under control. What is certain is that the temperatures rise and thus the risk of the uninvited guests from the air.