To slow down the spread of tiger mosquitoes in Flanders, the Health Department calls on them to be reported and to remove breeding sites. “It is impossible to completely keep the tiger mosquito out in Flanders, but we can delay its arrival and spread as much as possible,” said spokeswoman Valerie Weekers.
The tiger mosquito is jet black with white stripes on its body and legs and is barely half a centimeter in size. Last year they were already found in fifteen Flemish municipalities, almost double the number in 2022. Tiger mosquitoes are more aggressive than native mosquitoes and people often react more strongly or allergic to bites.
In addition, tiger mosquitoes can transmit a number of tropical diseases, such as dengue and chikungunya. If a tiger mosquito bites a sick person, the mosquito can transmit the disease to another healthy person during its next blood meal. The chance of transmission is currently still small in our country.
However, to limit the overwintering of mosquitoes, the Care Department calls on you to always report tiger mosquitoes via www.muggensurveillance.be or via the Mosquito Surveillance app. It is also important to turn off standing water in gardens or change it regularly. “A plant bowl with a little water, a rain barrel or a bucket in the garden are perfect breeding grounds,” it says.
Mosquito eaters in the garden, such as frogs, salamanders, bats and dragonflies, can also prevent the spread of tiger mosquitoes. Finally, the agency asks that tiger mosquitoes be given “no lift.” “They are active hunters, they follow people into their cars or trucks. That’s how they come here, even from the south of France.”
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Tags: Healthcare Department calls tiger mosquitoes sidelined
