Mosquito Population Increased With Drought

Akdeniz University Faculty of Science, Department of Biology. Dr. Hüseyin Çetin explained that the stagnant water puddles formed in the environment due to drought and low rainfall increased the mosquito population.

Due to global warming and environmental factors, drought and low rainfall have become the common problem of the whole world. Experts warn that many regions in the world will face severe drought in the coming years due to the disappearance of intermediate seasons such as spring and autumn and low rainfall in winter.

Turkey had a warmer winter this year than last year. While the water level in the dams was falling, it was determined that groundwater was withdrawn in many regions. Small puddles were formed, especially in settlements, due to the lack of rainfall. The stagnation of these puddles invites flies.

"Breeds in All Kinds of Puddles"

Prof. Akdeniz University (AU) Faculty of Science, Department of Biology. Dr. Hüseyin Çetin reached striking results in his research on vector control.

This summer Prof. Dr. Cetin said that they expect a rise in the general mosquito populations in Turkey. He also said that there are 3500 mosquito species in the world and around 60 in Turkey.

Stating that due to climate change, mosquitoes spread from the summer months to the whole year. Dr. Çetin said, “3-4 degrees of increase in many areas such as the Aegean and Mediterranean regions is very important for these creatures. Mosquitoes can now be seen year-round. They breed in building basements, in all kinds of puddles around dwellings. Development times are getting shorter and this is a disadvantage. Due to global climate change, they hibernate later, and some species are more likely to survive drought. “Small puddles have formed due to heavy rainfall or lack of rainfall, and mosquitoes love them very much,” he said.

Explaining that the municipalities do enough spraying within the scope of combating vector, but it is difficult to fight alone, Prof. Dr. Çetin said that citizens should take their own precautions in places where puddles will occur around their home. Explaining the importance of leaking meters, ventilation of basements, frequent renewal of water given to cats and dogs, and reversing of these containers when not in use, Prof. Dr. Çetin explained that he faced some obstacles in the residences where the municipal teams came for spraying. Noting that apart from areas such as manholes and septic tanks, basements and shelters should be kept ready in a way that will not cause difficulties for the municipal teams. Dr. Hüseyin Çetin said, “If there was a colder winter, there would be a serious decrease in the mosquito population. In the basements of the buildings, in the shallow waters, mosquitoes wintered well. Sorry, we are expecting an increase in mosquito populations in many regions in all of Turkey next summer, “he said.

Prof. Dr. Cetin, finally, that Turkey should be given importance to work towards larvae spraying in general drew attention.