Asian Tiger Mosquito

Where it lives

Plant pot saucers, roof gutters, buckets, disused tyres, wells, blocked drains, air conditioning trays, boat covers, watering cans and any container holding standing water for more than a week.

Signs

• Daytime biting, particularly around the ankles, in gardens and on terraces
• Small black-and-white striped mosquitoes
• Larvae wriggling in standing water in pots, gutters and containers
• Bites concentrated near a specific corner of the garden or yard

Risks

• Competent vector of dengue, chikungunya and Zika viruses
• Painful, intensely itchy bites and possible allergic reaction
• Makes outdoor space unusable during the Maltese summer
• Rapid population growth, egg to adult in around ten days

Prevention

• Empty plant pot saucers, buckets and toys weekly. This one habit does more than everything else put together
• Clear and slope roof gutters so they drain fully
• Cover water butts, wells and cisterns with fine mesh
• Store tyres, containers and boat covers under shelter
• Refresh pet water bowls and bird baths every two days

Treatment

Adult spraying alone is a short-term measure. We survey and eliminate every breeding container, apply a larvicide (biological Bti where water cannot be removed) to gutters, wells and drains, and treat vegetation harbourage where adults rest. Seasonal programmes from May to October keep gardens, terraces and hotel grounds usable.