Are there more ticks and mosquitoes than usual?
It seems like there are more bloodsucking bugs and ticks this year than usual – but how true is that?
In Luxembourg
It seems like there are more bloodsucking bugs and ticks this year than usual – but how true is that?
When the weather is good and the temperatures rise, comes the time of blood-sucking insects. They are found wherever a hot and humid climate prevails. But are there more bloodsucking critters this year than in previous years due to the warm winter and wet spring? It is not easy to answer this question.
Indeed, the right temperature, humidity as well as the duration of hot, cold, dry or wet phases are important for the spread of thirsty mosquitoes and ticks, according to Dr. Alexander Weigand, an expert at the National Museum of Natural History ( MNHN). Thus, among other things, there are 900 species of ticks in the world. In Luxembourg, it is above all the common tick (Ixodes ricinus) that is studied. This one lives mainly in the vegetation close to the ground. “If the winters have not been extremely cold, the species has a good chance of forming higher population densities”, explains the expert.
But since different species have fixed hatch windows, favorable weather conditions must prevail at the appropriate time. “All this is a little more complex than a general yes or no. Even among all species of ticks or mosquitoes, it is impossible to answer the question in a general way, because each species has different ecological requirements on its environment. Coupled with good timing”.
Always new exotic species
New species are always added, such as the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) or the Japanese bush mosquito Aedes japonicus, among others. “The latter, however, should not be confused with the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus), which has not yet been detected in the country,” says Weigand. However, it is difficult to determine in general how these alien species arrive in Luxembourg. “For some non-native species, it is quite simply climate change that promotes their spread. As for certain wild bees or the tick of Auwald (in Luxembourgish: Suppenzeck)”.
It is different with the Asian hornet. This was introduced to southwestern France and spread to central Europe under suitable conditions.
Other species, such as the giant Hyalomma tick, arrive in the country through migratory birds. “Once they have been delivered and grown to adulthood, their final hosts, such as horses among others, are also infested with us.” According to the expert, such a species has already been able to overwinter in Germany. Other small animals made their way from the Black Sea to the Grand Duchy via the Main-Danube Canal and the Moselle. “The sandflies will also probably be present at our place in a shorter period of time.”
Risk due to viruses and bacteria
Besides the biting bite, ticks and insects have a bad reputation because they can transmit viruses and bacteria. “However, one must always see the interaction between the vector and the pathogenic agent”, underlines the expert. “Just because the species of mosquito is present in our country does not mean that the pathogen is also circulating among the native population”. Viruses could, however, become established under the right conditions, according to Weigand. Thus, indigenous malaria existed for a long time in central Europe before being eradicated.
Clothes and waters
But how to protect yourself? “It also depends entirely on the species,” says the expert. For ticks, the usual measures are helpful. “Wear long, light-coloured clothes and remember to inspect yourself after the walk”. One can protect against mosquitoes by not having open standing water like a rain barrel around the house. “Thus, the eggs cannot be placed directly in front of the window. If you live near wetlands, the problem is already known”. However, there does not seem to be a real miracle cure for small animals that suck, sting and bite.
This article first appeared on wort.lu/de
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