tiger mosquito fumigation

[lucy]

Someone told me that the Delta de Llobregat has been visited by the anti-Tiger Mosquito fumigators.  Does anyone know what this involves and what affect it might have on living beings other than mosquitoes? 

There seems to be a tiger mosquito psychosis. Recently in the letters page of El Periodico de Catalunya there was a photo of a pond somewhere in the outskirts of Collserola. There was some rubbish dumped in it, and it seemed the accompanying letter would be complaining about this.  But no, it was demanding that the pond be drained immediately, as it could be a source of tiger mosquitos. Are their bites really so bad? Have they arrived in the rest of Spain?

[Clive]

Hola Lucy,

Nicks got a pretty good article on Tiger mosquitoes at http://www.iberianature.com/material/tigermosquito.htm Maybe this latest news will provoke an update to his page

Clive

[Technopat]

Greetings Lucy and All,
Clive beat me to it - I reached Nick's article through the external links at Wikipedia:

Two similar references to the tiger mosquito, the first in Sp. contains info. on Spain

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquito_tigre

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_tiger_mosquito

Regs.
Technopat

Ps.
As is so often the case, it’s the female of the s. that is more deadly – the male just potters about sipping nectar. 

[nick]

I don't understand why they bothering with wetlands. As far as I know tiger mosquitoes breed in tiny pools of water. In a natural setting this means cups formed by leaves in jungles. In Barcelona, beer cans, ashtrays, plant pots on terraces. I believe they have now reached my own Poble Sec, though I have yet to meet one of their accursed number.

I suspect this spraying is nothing to do with tigers and is just a general spraying programme which has been going on since the 1950s. As a self-appointed expert who doesn't really have a clue, I shall endeavour to find out more.

 Incidentally, as El Prat was one of the last places in Spain to rid itself of malaria in the early 1960s, the expertise has remained in the area, and local specialists are now considered experts at a world level on mosquito eradication.

[lucy]

Thanks Clive and Technopat for pointing me to the information.  The tigers must be hell if they can make a family move house to avoid them. On a more optimistic note, a microbiologist told me that their bites could become less painful over time, as our bodies get used to them and react less.

Nick’s information that the spraying has been going on since the 1950s is quite reassuring, but I still wonder about its impact on other species. 

[Clive]

Hola,

There is an urban myth that a 2 kilometre strip of the whole Spanish coastline was aerial sprayed with ddt back int he 60's...People on the beaches waved and cheered at the planes overhead as they protected everyone from the dastardly mosquito...and Malaria?

Over to the experts to find if that urban myth is in fact a true event....

Clive

P.S as far as I am aware there is not a chemical used in Spain that selectively kills just one species...see http://www.iberianatureforum.com/index.php/topic,64.0.html for my rant on the control of invasive species that annoy mankind

[nick]

We're not arguing as to whether its selective or bad for the envirnoment at this stage, rather as to when and whether it happened

[lucy]

Related to mosquitoes and whether or not nature reserves should be sprayed, I’ve remembered something that happened about 10 years ago in Asturias, in the area of the Degaña reserve.   I think this is run very strictly: very few people are allowed inside, and only with permits, although probably local people go in and out if they feel like it.  On a walk through some woods nearby, I came back covered in mosquito bites, but happy to have seen two beautiful vipers.  The pharmacy in the little village was particularly well-stocked with anti-mosquito products.  It turned out that those in charge of the reserve had been flying overhead dropping vipers in cardboard boxes and mosquito larvae.  At least this is what the bemused villagers explained.  It was part of a plan to increase biodiversity, the mosquitoes enhancing food supply for birds.

[Technopat]

Greetings Lisa,
Sounds a bit too much of an urban a rural myth to me (folklore?), but I like it! I like it!
Maybe the 'Shroomey Squad can fly/float over gold courses in hot air balloons and drop vipers around the holes - nothing like putting sheer fear into the punters on a round and once the word gets back to the LOG that courses here are adder-ridden, ...

It won't stop the b*** places being built in the first place, but it'll help make their promotors go bankrupt.

[Clive]

Hola,

Seems there is an advisory body set up for the research of the tiger mosquito and other possible threats to humans via vector diseases...EVITAR http://www.evitar.retics.net/documentacion.htm

They have an excellent PDF at http://www.evitar.retics.net/Docs/art_albo_EE.pdf detailing the expansion of tiger mosquitos into Spain....

(How much lucky bamboo gets bought in Spain I wonder...It's not so lucky after all)...

This is a job for a super fluent member of the "Shroomie squad" to call the guys at EVITAR to ask them what kind of chemical control is being advised to councils where tiger mosquitoes are present...

Clive

[Clive]

Hola,

Page 14 of this study into west nile virus and it's vectors at http://www.evitar.retics.net/Docs/VigilanciaWNV%201.pdf tells of methods of control... Also figure 5 pinpoints the 4 main affected areas in Spain..

and at the bottom of the study it gives a name of a person...

Carlos Aranda
Servei de Control de Mosquits del Consell Comarcal del Baix Llobregat.

Clive

[lisa]

Sounds like short-toed eagles, culebrera europea would have a field day  (if they weren't got by the spray first.)

[nick]

Qucik reply. I've asked and it's nothing to do with tiger mosquitoes. It's just the yearly spray they have been doing for decades.

They don't use pesticides but a form of form of spore which prevent mosquitoes -and also other insects- from "moulting" (correct word for insects?) which kills them. My source says it has no ill effect on other wildlife - and the only possible aim and outcome is to reduce numbers for a short period of time.

Threat to the Delta is industry and the airport not spraying.

[Clive]

Hola,

So are they using Bacillus thuringinsis israelensis or Bacillus sphaericus ? The first one is used against the processionary caterpillar as well (amongst other things.....)

Clive

[lucy]

Thanks for checking up Nick and glad to hear it’s something quite innocuous.  I think it's precisely because of the real threats to the area that people are so quick to fear the worst.  There's a feeling that the interests of the reserve come last.

[tonyninfas]

I was told yesterday that we are to expect an outbreak of tiger mosquitoes this year.  Does anybody have an idea how we can ecologically prepare ourselves for this, or will it just be a case of ensuring that we have no pools of water lying around ?  This will be exceptionally difficult as we have several fountains around the place as well as a barranc at the side of the property which occasionally has pools of water lying in it rather than flowing through it.  Any ideas aoppreciated.