Every year, his return is feared. As the sunny days approach, health authorities are resuming their monitoring of the tiger mosquito, an insect from the tropical forests of Asia and established in France since 2004. In 2023, the National Food Safety Agency, Environment and Labor (ANSES) reported the presence of the pest in 71 departments of mainland France. In addition to the annoying bites, it can be responsible for the contraction of several dangerous viruses, such as dengue or chikungunya.
The Ministry of Health thus counted at the end of 2022, in mainland France, 272 imported cases of dengue, 22 imported cases of chikungunya and 3 imported cases of zika. To protect yourself, it is therefore important to avoid its proliferation, starting in spring. “80% of mosquitoes are born in private areas… We therefore all have a big role to play”, recalls for example the ARS of Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
Learn about its proliferation
To protect yourself from it, you must first know how it establishes itself in an environment, and particularly where. Tiger mosquitoes are called “exophilic”, meaning that they live mainly outdoors. Particularly resistant and adapted to the human environment, they develop preferentially in peri-urban or very dense areas.
The female lays eggs in all kinds of containers and artificial water reservoirs: vases, pots, barrels, cans, gutters, rain drains, gutters, terraces on pedestals, old tires, etc. And a female mosquito can lay several hundred eggs each time. laying. As soon as its presence is first noticed, it is possible to report it on the Tiger mosquito reporting portal, set up by the health authorities to help scientists and guide public action.
Vigilance at stagnant water points
It is therefore necessary at all costs to concentrate on these areas to avoid their proliferation: regularly empty or remove the cups under the flower pots or fill them with sand in order to conserve humidity without there being stagnant water; store, sheltered from the rain, buckets, gardening equipment, toys or even various containers, reminds ANSES.
Also remember to cover the water collection containers with a mosquito net or fabric and clean the gutters to facilitate the proper flow of water. These actions, even if they are tedious, must be repeated once a week to be effective. The health authorities particularly insist on the control of rainwater collectors. According to the ARS of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, in 2022 in Gironde, more than half of the “larval breeding sites” discovered were located in a water collector.
As a reminder, even with a lid closed, the mosquito can enter and exit the water collector through the gutter. To avoid this scenario, it is advisable to install a mosquito net or fabric between the outlet of the gutter and the surface of the water. Finally, to simply avoid being bitten, choose long, loose and light clothing, as for other insects, which you can supplement with the use of a repellent.