After Langedijk, the tiger mosquito has now also been spotted in Heerhugowaard. Because the black and white striped animal mainly flies around during the day, Chantal from Rivierenbuurt was able to avoid being stung. “It was on my arm, but this specimen is no longer viable.”
The Asian tiger mosquito appeared to have been spotted in Langedijk at the end of August and today Chantal from Heerhugowaard told media partner Dijk en Waard Central know that she too has seen the beast.
“I could see it clearly. He sat on my arm. It looked bigger than an ordinary mosquito and had stripes,” is her description. She manages to neutralize mosquitoes using pesticides.
The municipality of Dijk en Waard told residents of Langedijk that they not having to worry about any health risks. “In the Netherlands, the mosquito has not yet transmitted any infectious diseases and that chance is estimated to be very small.”
Large number of tropical diseases
Still, a bite from the exotic species is possible, according to mosquito expert Bart Knols are indeed dangerous. “It is a very efficient transmitter of a large number of tropical infectious diseases,” he says. “We are currently seeing the tenth case of dengue fever in Italy. We see the West Nile virus a lot in the Balkans and the Chikungunya virus in Southern Europe. So we must try to keep that animal out of the country for as long as possible.”
Places of water
According to the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), which has been trying to combat the animal since 2005, the female prefers to lay her eggs in sheltered places in rainwater. Think of buckets, flower pots, garden shed gutters, rain barrels, cans, bottles, drinking troughs and tires. “Store pots, vases and watering cans indoors or turn them upside down so that rainwater does not remain in them. Regularly change the water in bird baths and drinking troughs and cover rain barrels.”
2023-09-13 15:32:33
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