The high temperatures of the spring and rainfall have favored the expansion of this insect with an intense bite and a preference for feeding on humans.
“The high temperatures and constant rains of the spring of 2020 provide the ideal conditions for the reproduction of the tiger mosquito,” explain the leaders of the Mosquito Alert project, a citizen science initiative coordinated by CEAB-CSIC, CREAF, ICREA, and Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), supported by Obra Social ‘la Caixa.’
The number of tiger mosquitoes recorded on Mosquito Alert in the first half of 2020 shows a 70% increase compared to 2018, which until now was the year with the most observed insects at the start of the season. While the current year is not yet complete, 2015 remains the season with the highest number of mosquitoes observed overall.