the town of Escalquens declares war on tiger mosquitoes

It is present in 67 departments this year, and in particular in the south of the country. the tiger mosquito once once more risks poisoning you on vacation. This very recognizable mosquito with its stripes on the abdomen can carry dengue fever or chikungunya and has the particularity of biting all day long. Some municipalities have decided to declare war on it. This is the case of Escalquens, near Toulousewhere the mayor decided to react, faced with the nuisances reported to him by the inhabitants.

Traps to attract mosquitoes

“It became unbearable for them. They might no longer eat outside or go for a walk outside with the little ones. It poisoned the summer life of all the inhabitants of Escalquens”, underlines the mayor Jean-Luc Tronco.

So the city councilor set up an action plan: raise awareness among the inhabitants, then treat the waterways with bacteria that attack the larvae, and install a whole network of terminals in the town. Traps that mimic human breathing to attract mosquitoes and suck them in.

“We had a first experience by installing a terminal in the gardens of the nursing home. It had made it possible to trap several thousand mosquitoes. So the first year, we bought around forty which we put in private homes. This year, we bought seven more and completed the system with larval traps”, he adds.

A 50,000 euro plan

So the town hall invested 50,000 euros in this plan. If most residents see an improvement, this device does not allow any relaxation. Cyril was on vacation and is invaded once more despite his two larval traps.

“I was in the Landes, I had forgotten what mosquitoes were. I’m spraying and I’ve just killed two or three on me. It’s quite catastrophic. The traps work, however, you see them here. We catch a few but it’s not enough”, explains the resident, exasperated.

The most effective is perhaps prevention: emptying or covering anything that might contain water since a few milliliters are enough for tears to develop.