Already? Warm weather brings first mosquitoes to Bratislava

Even though the main mosquito season has yet to start, Bratislava has already identified and started treated the first hatcheries. It has carried out eight interventions so far, using a biocide called Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (BTI), a naturally occuring bacteria.

“Although it is still relatively cold and the main mosquito season has not even started yet, thanks to continuous monitoring we have caught the first hatcheries in time. These emerged during [recent] slightly warmer days,” Bratislava City Council wrote on social networks, as quoted by the TASR newswire.

Although mosquito larvae develop slowly at relatively low temperatures, early intervention should prevent the larvae from hatching and in turn laying thousands more eggs in the warmer weeks to come. The main mosquito season lasts from April to September.

The city also continues to monitor occurrences of the invasive Asian tiger mosquito species in the capital.

“The occurrence of this mosquito does not automatically mean an increased spread of contagious diseases,” said Peter Bubla, spokesperson of Bratislava said, as quoted by TASR. “The mosquito is only a potential vector, but not a source of infection.”

Bubla notes that mosquitoes cannot be completely eradicated. However, the authorities are concentrating on timely elimination of as many larvae as possible so that the number of biting mosquitoes remains as low as possible.

However, some hatcheries are located in places where the city cannot intervene.

“This is especially true in the case of the tiger mosquito, which breeds in man-made hatcheries, such as containers containing only a little water, like flower pots or gutters,” he said.

Therefore, residents and landowners can also play an important role in preventing the tiger mosquito from hatching by not creating opportunities for the mosquitoes to breed.

The city will again this year provide BTI larvicide in the form of tablets to owners or tenants of gardens and houses.