To effectively combat the growing Asian tiger mosquito population, especially in cities on Türkiye's northern Black Sea coast, a faculty member from the Veterinary Faculty of Erciyes University warned that plastic containers should be disposed of properly to prevent the accumulation of stagnant water that provides the perfect breeding ground for the pests.
The Asian tiger mosquito has become a dominant species in the last 10 years, especially in tropical and subtropical regions, said professor Alparslan Yıldırım, a faculty member at the Department of Parasitology of Erciyes University, recalling that the pest was not widespread in Türkiye until a few years ago.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Yıldırım stated that this mosquito likes dark plastic and that the puddles in tires carelessly thrown into nature create an environment that includes part of its food chain.
The professor noted that analysis regarding whether Asian tiger mosquitos carry harmful pathogens was also conducted within the scope of an ongoing international project that commenced at the start of 2023.
As part of this research, which included the relevant faculties and public health institutions in the U.S., Georgia and Ukraine, and Erciyes University, the mosquito samples were comprehensively analyzed.
The research included taking samples in all provinces bordering the Black Sea, examining their population structures and analyzing whether they carry pathogens, Yıldırım explained.
Based on the research and observations, it was determined that the species emerged as the dominant and most common species seen in provinces starting from Kırklareli to Trabzon and Rize.
"This is because of its aggressive structure, its ability to feed without distinguishing any host, and at the same time, the development of other mosquito species in a variety of ways," Yıldırım said.
"For example, an Asian tiger mosquito can mate with a female of a yellow fever mosquito and render it sterile. For this reason, there is an impression that its population is heading toward a boom," he added.
Emphasizing that the health and municipality workers in the regions where they conduct research are aware of the presence of the insect, Yıldırım noted that the species has a white stripe on its back and head and that it can be distinguished from other mosquitoes by citizens because its legs are black and white.
He also stressed that it is not currently possible to pinpoint specific geography to fight growing populations of mosquitos without getting to know which species prevails more.
Elaborating on the use of insecticide sprays to suppress the proliferation of the insects, Yıldırım highlighted that these efforts yield less of a positive outcome as municipalities often disperse them during the day, while it's known that mosquitos commonly emerge in the evening.
"Therefore, this type of spraying is not preferred, as underlined by the World Health Organization (WHO). In this type of spraying, people inhale it, even at low volume. Mosquitoes are aquatic creatures. They definitely need to lay their eggs in the water and develop in the aquatic environment. That's why it's important to act while they are still in the water," Yıldırım explained.
Yıldırım emphasized that the Asian tiger mosquito is referred to as "container mosquitoes" and that they are particularly fond of plastic waste and containers. Noting that they often nestle in convenient spaces, such as car tires, which can be found scattered in parts of the Black Sea region, Yıldırım urged locals to properly dispose of trash.
"Municipal teams also need to empty the accumulated water. People need to be aware that if they leave plastic waste or containers with stagnant water in their surroundings, streams or gardens, they won't be able to combat these mosquitoes because there's nothing any municipality can do about it. Municipalities cannot go and dump out the water inside every single plastic item," he noted.
"These mosquitoes are already widespread not only in Türkiye but also in different parts of the world. If an integrated method of combating them gets developed with the conscious approach, especially health workers and municipalities, which is our aim, if this happens, mosquitoes will not be a huge problem," he concluded.
