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Heavy rains and heat mosquitoes are currently in high season
Heavy rains, heat, floods: the weather conditions of the last few months provided ideal conditions for mosquitoes. The little bloodsuckers are not dangerous, but they can be quite uncomfortable. But there is a lot that helps against annoying mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes can spread well thanks to the weather
According to experts, a mosquito-plague threatens again after two rather meager years. The weather currently offers the best conditions for a rapid increase in insects. The mosquitoes develop especially in dormant waters such as ponds, ponds or rain barrels. And after the frequent rains of the past few weeks, mosquitoes in many regions of Germany are once again following suit.
Much rain and heat: The weather currently provides the best conditions for a rapid increase of mosquitoes. The insects are not dangerous, but often become very annoying. But you can also keep the plague spirits away. (Image: nechaevkon / fotolia.com) Every two weeks a new generation
"About every two weeks, a new generation hatches under the current conditions," said Doreen Walther, biologist and mosquito expert at the Leibniz Center for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) in Müncheberg in Brandenburg in a message from the dpa news agency.
"In the spring that took another four weeks," says the expert. The mosquitoes are therefore in high season in many states.
In Germany there are about 50 species of mosquitoes, around 3,500 species are known worldwide.
Exotic mosquitoes in Germany
Experts are worried about the increasing spread of exotic species.
"We assume that the Asian bush mosquito will have established itself throughout Germany in a few years," said Walther.
But: "So far, there are no dangerous pathogens in Germany, which are transmitted by mosquitoes," said the expert.
Other experts point out that the risk of contracting a mosquito bite here in Germany is negligible.
However, "there is no data on whether native mosquitoes could transmit introduced tropical pathogens", it says on the portal "Mosquito Atlas", in which the ZALF cooperates with the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (Federal Research Institute of Animal Health).
Only the females sting
But even if the insects do not transmit diseases, they can be quite annoying. According to the ZALF, it does not deceive that mosquitoes appear to be particularly aggressive.
"For her, it's about conservation. At the moment, mosquitoes only think about finding blood, laying eggs, finding new blood, laying new eggs, "explained Walther.
"We are certainly in the fifth or sixth generation of mosquitoes in 2017, but they manage seven to eight generations per year," said the biologist.
According to the expert, only three of the 28 mosquito families that occur in Germany stand out: mosquitoes, blackflies and gnats. And of these only the females.
The family of mosquitoes split, however, in 50 species. There are just as many species of black-and-white mosquitoes that look a bit like flies, and there are even 300 species of midges just a few millimeters in size.
Protect yourself from itchy bites
But what can you do to escape the pests? You can not completely escape them completely.
At least you can often protect against itchy stings - including home remedies for mosquitoes, such as essential oils.
Or with insect sprays. However, these do not help against the approach of blackflies and gnats, as all chemical repellents aimed at mosquitoes, explained Walther.
Although it can be used to cover up the attractant sweat, but not the carbon dioxide from the air, which attracts mosquitoes even more. "And we can stop breathing badly," says Walther.
Composition of breath and sweat
But why do some people get less mosquito bites?
According to the expert, people are more or less interesting depending on the composition of the breath and sweat for mosquitoes as a source of blood.
"That's why folk wisdom comes from sweet blood. Of course, that does not exist. But it's true that we all breathe differently and sweat, "explained Walther.
That's why washing or lemon balm is good for some people, but for others it does not help even the strongest chemical club. (Ad)