Experts are sounding the alarm because more and more mosquitoes are spreading throughout Germany, including many exotic ones. Worrying: Some mosquito species can transmit dangerous pathogens. The Asian tiger mosquito in particular is one of the most dangerous disease vectors.
Summer also brings mosquito plague
In the summer months it is not only hot, but also more and more frequently it hums. The mild winter months meant that mosquitoes were able to reproduce much better, so that experts expect a higher volume.
So far there have been about 50 species of mosquitoes in Germany, but that could change. Around 3,500 species are represented worldwide, including dangerous disease carriers such as the Asian tiger mosquito or the Asian bush mosquito. They often travel as stowaways from Asia in holiday luggage or on the freight route and have been able to multiply throughout Germany in recent years.
The annoying buzzing of the mosquitoes keeps some people from sleeping, but the new mosquito species are also extremely dangerous. They can transmit various pathogens, including West Nile virus. In order to keep the stinging pests away at least from your own four walls, one helps Insect screen door for the balcony or a fly screen for the window. This ensures a pleasant draft even on hot days, without the buzzing companions spreading inside the apartment.
The Asian tiger mosquito is really that dangerous
Most mosquitoes native to Germany only cause a slightly itchy bite. The whirring noises are also unpleasant and can keep some people from sleeping. Compared to other dangerous mosquito species, the specimens native to Germany are harmless.
Since 2007, however, experts have been looking at a worrying population development, because the dangerous Asian tiger mosquito was identified in Germany for the first time. Especially their sting can be anything but harmless, because the insects are carriers of the West Nile virus. They can also transmit malaria or dengue fever.
Researchers from the Leibniz Center for Agricultural Landscape Research, funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, have been working for a long time to be able to track the population development of the mosquito species that are spreading more and more on a Germany-wide mosquito atlas. Every citizen can become a mosquito hunter and send specimens collected from their region to the research team. This creates an overview of the regional differences, because they actually exist. For example, the Asian tiger mosquito prefers extremely warm regions and is therefore mainly found in southern regions. In 2015, a large population of dangerous mosquitoes was tracked down in Heidelberg and successfully eliminated.
In recent years, however, the Asian tiger mosquito has also been able to spread to other federal states. Individual specimens have been spotted in Thuringia and Hesse, for example. The dangerous mosquito also feels at home in Bavaria and was successfully eliminated with a population in Erding.
Asian bush mosquito sighted for the first time in Germany in 2008
A mosquito that researchers had not even suspected in Germany until now was discovered in Baden-Württemberg in 2008 through the mosquito atlas submissions: the Asian bush mosquito. Above all, it prefers cooler temperatures and therefore spreads differently than the Asian tiger mosquito in more northern federal states. She was spotted in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania or Schleswig-Holstein, among other places. But now, like the other native mosquitoes, it can be found in Saxony and occasionally in southern federal states.
A third tropical mosquito species is conquering Germany: Aedes koreicus
Since 2015 there has been another worrying species of mosquito in Germany: Aedes koreicus. She first appeared in Bavaria in 2015 and was also found in Hesse just two years later. This mosquito species originated in Korea, parts of Russia and China. But in the meantime it has found its way to Germany and other European countries such as Italy or Belgium or Switzerland.
How many others dangerous tropical mosquito species this specimen also loves a warm, humid climate. As a possible carrier of Chikungunya fever, Japanese encephalitis or Dirofilaria, it is by no means harmless to humans. But compared to the Asian tiger mosquito or the Asian bush mosquito, the Korean genus is still represented by a small population throughout Germany.
Invasive species are significantly more resistant than native mosquitoes
Experts found that the tropical mosquitoes are extremely robust and resilient. Although they prefer a warm, humid climate, they don’t mind frost or dry periods either. Despite the cold and severe winter of 2017/2018, many tropical mosquito specimens were able to survive and even continue to spread. The drought summer in 2018 did not bring their population spread to a standstill either.
How do I recognize dangerous mosquito species?
Can bites from dangerous mosquito species be prevented and if not, what to do in an emergency? At first glance, there are clear differences in the wings of tropical mosquitoes compared to the specimens native to Germany. But the sting usually goes unnoticed at first.
A red spot on the skin suggests that a mosquito bite. But is this sting dangerous or do I not have to worry? At first, the bite site of the Asian tiger mosquito looks like a conventional mosquito bite. In addition to the reddening of the skin, there will usually also be itching. If it is an Asian tiger mosquito, its saliva causes a thick red spot on the skin that appears as a wheal. Anyone who notices this change of location should consult a doctor they trust.
Protection against dangerous mosquito bites: It’s that easy
In order not to be bitten by a mosquito in the first place, simple precautionary measures work. Clothing on arms and legs, for example, covers large areas of skin and at least makes it more difficult for mosquitoes to bite. There are now also skin-friendly sprays against mosquitoes, which are supposed to deter the animals with their ingredients.
Since mosquitoes are attracted to light, especially in the evening hours, lighting should only be switched on in closed rooms. If you want to treat yourself to some fresh air outside, it is best to do without the garden lighting and instead make yourself comfortable in the dark.
Since mosquitoes of all kinds are primarily attracted by human body odor, personal hygiene is extremely important in summer. We sweat more and thus produce an odor that is attractive to mosquitoes. Regular showering will help repel mosquitoes.
06/29/2022