Southern Germany faces unprecedented mosquito plague post-June floods
2 July 2024 19:27
After the June floods, southern Germany is battling a plague of mosquitoes.
The June floods in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria cause a mosquito plague in some regions of southern Germany. The worst-hit areas are around lakes and rivers. Residents and tourists are complaining about swarms of mosquitoes not deterred by the repellents available in shops.
"I can't remember a summer like this"
According to experts, this year, we are dealing with an unusual plague of mosquitoes. "I can't remember a year like this in over 35 years," Dirk Reichle from the Municipal Initiative for Mosquito Plague Control on the Upper Rhine (KABS) told the Stuttgarter Nachrichten and Stuttgarter Zeitung newspapers.
The initiative brings together over 90 municipalities from Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse, and Baden-Württemberg to limit the spread of mosquitoes.
Mosquito plague
Due to the floods this year, initiative workers could not reach all areas to combat mosquito larvae. "Since mid-May, we have been working almost continuously using helicopters," Reichle told the Stuttgart newspapers. He estimated that about 90 percent of the larvae were killed. However, what remains is enough for a powerful mosquito plague.
Anyone living near bodies of water will need to prepare for more years like 2024 due to climate change. "Years with floods are becoming more frequent, and mosquito plagues like this one will appear more often," warned the German expert.
