The mosquito control program coordinated by the National Directorate General for Disaster Management will begin on Wednesday.
The disaster management agency informed MTI on Wednesday that during the spring season, mosquito larvae are primarily controlled using biological methods. In this process, experts apply a preparation containing a protein produced by a natural bacterium to the mosquitoes’ breeding grounds.
They emphasized that this protein, in the applied dosage, kills only the larvae of biting mosquitoes and is harmless to all other organisms—even to non-biting midges.
According to the statement, the first biological treatments will take place along the upper section of the Tisza River and around Lake Tisza. However, these efforts are made more difficult by the onset of foliage on the trees.
In floodplain forest areas, where breeding grounds have formed, liquid treatments are no longer effective enough, so granules are used instead. These granules can penetrate the foliage and reach the larvae’s habitats.
Entomologists commissioned by the disaster management authority have been monitoring the appearance and development of larvae since March, and this data is used to plan the course of treatment.
They also noted that river water levels have been low in recent weeks, so most floodplain areas have not yet developed suitable breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Larval development has started only sporadically, following light rainfall, and in more protected, vegetated areas around Lake Tisza, the statement said.
They also warned that rainy weather or even garden watering can create many ideal breeding grounds for biting mosquitoes. Therefore, it is recommended to cover, empty, or regularly change water in small containers around the home.
(MTI)
