The situation in Brittany is far from that experienced by certain towns in the south of France. But in the region, the tiger mosquito has been present since 2022. Invasive, aggressive when it bites, this mosquito is especially monitored because it transmits diseases such as dengue and chikungunya. To measure its presence, the regional health agency in Brittany commissioned a company which installs traps, particularly in Rennes. To the south of the city, in the Binquenais district, around fifteen traps were installed last April by the Altopictus company. “The tiger mosquito was already present last year in this neighborhood” indicates Belkacem Bouaita, technician for the Altopictus company.
The traps are installed in the vegetation near private gardens
Unlike the mosquito that we know better, the tiger mosquito bites during the day, it likes outdoor spaces and lives within a radius of 150 meters from its nesting place. “It is rather present in urban areas” explains the technician. In the Binquenais district, the traps are placed near private gardens, on the public highway. These traps are made up of a bucket of water, with a small piece of polystyrene floating on the surface. It is on this small rectangle that tiger mosquitoes come to lay their eggs. The technician comes to check the traps twice a month : “Lto, I don’t see any eggs with the naked eye, but I’m going to examine it under a magnifying glass, in our laboratory in Saint-Grégoire“explains Belkacem Bouaita. This work will make it possible to produce a map with the sectors where the tiger mosquito is present.”as soon as the weather is a little warmer, it will develop” specifies the technician.
Philippe Lambert
Residents urged to take precautions to avoid the proliferation of the insect
In the city of Rennes, around thirty traps have been installed. The objective is to precisely detect the presence of the insect, to give all the necessary advice to prevent its proliferation, “the city of Rennes was officially declared colonized at the end of 2023. But this is not inevitable. Today, we are therefore carrying out actions to raise awareness among residents, but also our garden, cemetery and green space service agents.” indicates Audrey Martin, environmental health manager at the city of Rennes. To prevent the tiger mosquito from developing, larval breeding sites must be eliminated, “in other words the spawning grounds”. In gardens, watering cans, bowls, flower pots and especially rainwater collection containers must be emptied. This operation must be carried out every week. “The tiger mosquito is also called — container mosquito — because this is where it develops. indicates the Altopictus technician. In addition, residents are encouraged to report when they see a tiger mosquito. They can take a photo and post it on the site: signalement-moustique.anses.fr.
