The tiger mosquito has arrived in the Zurich Oberland: the town of Uster announced on Wednesday that the first specimens were identified in Nänikon last summer. The mosquito population is now being combated and the area monitored.
From May to October, the canton of Zurich will be working with Uster to investigate the prevalence of tiger mosquitoes. The town said it was treating potential breeding sites with biological larvicide.
The support of Nänikon’s citizens is also being encouraged. As even the smallest accumulations of water can be enough for the Asian tiger mosquito to breed, watering cans, flowerpot saucers, vases and other containers should be emptied regularly.
The first tiger mosquito specimens were found last summer, Uster confirmed on enquiry. When it became clear in October that a population had established itself in Nänikon, the town drew up a control plan together with the canton.
Dengue fever risk low
Tiger mosquitoes have also been sighted in the city of Zurich since 2016, where it has so far been possible to prevent the insects from spreading in the city.
The tiger mosquito can transmit various diseases such as dengue fever, although the risk of this in Switzerland is low. However, the creatures are certainly a nuisance because, unlike native mosquitoes, tiger mosquitoes also bite during the day and the bites are painful.
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Authorities said it was too soon to say whether they were dealing with an isolated mosquito that had been carried into the canton or one from a local population. But the Federal Health Office added that there were no indications that the tiger mosquitoes found in canton Aargau were transmitters of infections such as dengue…
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