Haarlem has always been the city of mosquitoes and the inhabitants proudly wear their nickname ‘mosquito’. The fact that the Haarlemmers have this nickname probably has to do with the wet swamp landscape from which Haarlem originated. That’s why the mosquito city was the decor for the book presentation of The mosquito, a new popular science book on mosquitoes and the spread of disease. Marieta Braks went with Early birds immediately on the road to see how the mosquitoes in Haarlem are doing.
Street gullies are mecca for the mosquito
When looking for mosquitoes in the city, it is recommended that you look first in street gullies. Street gullies are underground sedimentation tanks, where rainwater is separated from dirt. If it doesn’t rain for a while, the water stands still, which is the perfect habitat for the mosquito.
The mosquitoes lay their eggs in the still water, which float on the rainwater like moving platforms. The mosquito is a pioneer species that likes temporary water. This is because there are no other aquatic insects that like to feed on mosquito larvae. There is a maximum of two weeks between laying the eggs and flying away, so often the mosquito has left before the temporary pool has evaporated.
Infectious diseases: watch out like in the tropics?
Malaria, the advancing tiger mosquito and the West Nile virus, the mosquito is often in the news as a source of disease these days. Should we be as careful in the future as we are in the tropics? According to Braks, it is difficult to predict major outbreaks of infectious diseases, but so far the dangers are not too bad. The spread of a germ depends on so many factors, and the cases of West Nile virus, for example, have been very limited so far.
Due to increasing world trade, we have been dealing with the advancing tiger mosquito for several years now. It is difficult to control this tropical mosquito species once it has established itself. According to Braks, it is especially important that we ourselves ensure that all mosquitoes have less chance: “Many people have empty containers with water in their garden or on the balcony. Try to prevent that, and close your rain barrel with a lid. Also that if you have a pond, make sure there is some life in it so that it doesn’t become a huge breeding ground for mosquitoes.”
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