Tiger mosquitoes have returned to Luxembourg

Staff from Luxembourg’s public health inspectorate carried out a door-to-door visit in the Bonnevoie area to warn residents about the appearance of Asian tiger mosquitoes and advise them on measures to control the insects. A similar information campaign had already been carried out around two years ago, so for most local residents, the visit by the specialists came as no surprise.

The main recommendation from the inspection teams remains unchanged: any standing water in the areas surrounding residential buildings must be completely eliminated. At the same time, the relevant authorities emphasise that this does not only apply to large rainwater collection tanks. Even the smallest pools of water in saucers under flower pots or in children’s toys left in the garden pose a potential threat. Residents are therefore strongly advised to remove or turn over any objects that could collect rainwater.

The biological characteristics of the Asian tiger mosquito are such that it requires only a few millilitres of water to breed successfully. At the same time, these insects are poor flyers and are unable to travel significant distances. Consequently, they spread mainly in the immediate vicinity of their breeding sites, which makes local preventative measures at the level of each individual property the most effective way of controlling the population.