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France declares war on the Tiger mosquito

The French ministry for health launched the country’s annual war on Tiger mosquitos this week, after the disease-carrying pest almost doubled its presence in the south of France last year.

Published: 3 May 2013 14:23 CEST
France declares war on the Tiger mosquito
Aedes albopictus - the 'tiger mosquito.' French authorities have launched their annual war on the fast-breeding, disease-carrying insects, which are prevalent in the south of France. Photo: CDC

As spring and early summer bring warmer weather, all over France t-shirts and shorts are being taken out of the closet again.

Unfortunately, however, early May is also the start of mosquito season, and all that bare flesh is irresistible to one Aedes albopictus – the tiger mosquito.

Which means its time for officials from France’s ministry of health to launch their annual war on the tiny Asian bloodsuckers on Thursday, warning residents in the south of the country to be vigilant and take simple steps to avoid infestation by a creature that lays 250 eggs every two days.

“It’s important to get rid of stagnant water around the house,” the Direction générale de la santé (Directorate General for Health) said in a statement.

“Replace saucers from under flowerpots, change the water in vases several times each week, check that gutters are clear, and get rid of used tires,” the directorate added.

Tiger mosquitos have now made home in 17 departments in the south of France, according to French daily Le Parisien. That’s a number that went up from just nine in last year.

Especially virulent along the humid Mediterranean coast, the tiger mosquito first appeared in the Alpes-Maritimes department in 2004.

Since then, the insects have spread from there and caused serious infections such as Denge and Chikungunya fever, notably in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region during the summer of 2010.

This isn’t the first time in recent weeks that French authorities have declared war on disease-carrying pests.

Last month, The Local reported how Paris police had kicked off their yearly “deratization” campaign, hoping to keep homes in the French capital free of the city’s millions of infectious rodents.

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PARIS

Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Efforts to relocate wild rabbits that are a common sight on the lawns of the historic Invalides memorial complex have provoked criticism from animal rights groups.

Published: 14 February 2024 13:01 CET
Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Tourists and Parisians have long been accustomed to the sight of wild rabbits frolicking around the lawns of Les Invalides, one of the French capital’s great landmarks.

But efforts are underway to relocate the fluffy animals, accused of damaging the gardens and drains around the giant edifice that houses Napoleon’s tomb, authorities said.

Police said that several dozen bunnies had been captured since late January and relocated to the private estate of Breau in the Seine-et-Marne region outside Paris, a move that has prompted an outcry from animal rights activists.

“Two operations have taken place since 25 January,” the police prefecture told AFP.

“Twenty-four healthy rabbits were captured on each occasion and released after vaccination” in Seine-et-Marne, the prefecture said.

Six more operations are scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.

Around 300 wild rabbits live around Les Invalides, according to estimates.

“The overpopulation on the site is leading to deteriorating living conditions and health risks,” the prefecture said.

Authorities estimate the cost of restoring the site, which has been damaged by the proliferation of underground galleries and the deterioration of gardens, pipes and flora, at €366,000.

Animal rights groups denounced the operation.

The Paris Animaux Zoopolis group said the rabbits were being subjected to “intense stress” or could be killed “under the guise of relocation”.

“A number of rabbits will die during capture and potentially during transport,” said the group, accusing authorities of being “opaque” about their methods.

The animal rights group also noted that Breau was home to the headquarters of the Seine-et-Marne hunting federation.

The police prefecture insisted that the animals would not be hunted.

In 2021, authorities classified the rabbits living in Paris as a nuisance but the order was reversed following an outcry from animal groups who have been pushing for a peaceful cohabitation with the animals.

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