While most attention has been paid to the presence of the tiger mosquito in and around Palma, far less has been paid to how widely it may have spread across Majorca. In Inca, the town hall knows there are mosquitoes there but hasn’t been able to locate any breeding areas and so take measures to prevent a further spreading and to try and eradicate them.
A technician with the town’s environment department, Silvia Gayà, has reiterated points made previously as to how the mosquito can move. Its actual flight area is very limited, but it can get itself into cars and so move this way. (Which is why in Catalonia, police at controls have, with drivers’ permission, been checking to see if there are mosquitoes present.) Gayà also offers a reminder that the tiger mosquito requires only small amounts of water in order to breed and lay eggs, and this could be, for instance, water left in plant pot dishes either after it has rained or simply because of watering.
In order to assess the scale of the problem in Inca, receptacles with water have been placed in six parts of the town and samples taken after a period of fifteen days which are sent to a company which specialises in the eradication of the mosquito. If a large population of mosquitoes is detected, the town hall will then evaluate measures to be taken.