Mosquito plague predicted after Britain's hot and damp summer

 

By ANDREW LEVY - More by this author » Last updated at 17:06pm on 20th July 2007 Comments

Britain should expect far more mosquitoes this year

 

The sound of whining bugs and hands slapping necks is usually the soundtrack to hot or exotic holidays abroad.

But the nuisance of swatting away mosquitoes could be far more common than usual in Britain this year.

Experts have warned the UK is facing an explosion of the insects caused by warm and humid conditions, as well as standing water left by rainstorms, which have created perfect breeding conditions.

Predictions for downpours over the next few days will only worsen the situation.

Matt Shardlow, conservation director of insects conservation trust Buglife, said: "This is the sort of weather they like, where it is warm and humid and rains a lot and is then sunny for periods.

"That leaves small standing bodies of water for them to breed in."

Naturalists are already reporting an upsurge in mosquitoes in areas near bodies of water, which provide the insects' preferred breeding ground.

Dr David Waterhouse, assitant curator of natural history at the Castle Museum in Norwich, near the fens and broads of Norfolk, said: "All the reports we are getting suggest that they seem to be a lot more prevalent this year.

"Warm and wet is what they like and global warming is contributing to these conditions."

Only female mosquitoes bite humans and animals as they need protein from the blood to lay eggs.

They are attracted by perspitation, body odour and lactic acid, as well as heat and light.

A long proboscis is used to penetrate the skin and the insect's saliva contains anticoagulants which prevent the blood from clotting.

The anticoagulants provoke an immune response from the body, causing the infuriating swelling and itching characterised by bites.

There could be more serious health concerns in the future, with the Health Protection Agency recently warning malaria may be about to return to Britain as a result of global warming.

The disease - caused by a parasite carried by infected mosquitoes and which attacks victims' blood cells - is widespread in tropical and subtropical areas where it affects 650 million people each year and kills three million.

The disease was common in Britain until the 1880s, when it declined as a result of land reclamation and improved sanitation and farming practices.

No vaccine is currently available for malaria. The only protection is expensive preventative drugs which must be taken continuously to prevent infection.

There have also been concerns about the spread of West Nile virus, which is transmitted by infected mosquitoes and can be fatal to humans.

A study five years ago revealed 15 per cent of UK birds in East Anglia had positive antibodies - indicating they had been exposed to the disease.

There are around 400 species of mosquito, of which more than 30 are present in the UK, where they can be found between June and October.

Females can lay up to six batches of eggs each season, producing 350 at a time.

I knew about this because it's something I've been reading a lot about recently.

 

But - it's been wet this summer, sure. But it hasn't been 'hot' - at all, yet.

I knew about this because it's something I've been reading a lot about recently.

 

Are you an entomologist then?:stunned:

 

 

But - it's been wet this summer, sure. But it hasn't been 'hot' - at all, yet.

 

Well obviously it's been hot enough for the mozzies!!:P

Are you an entomologist then?:stunned:

 

 

Well obviously it's been hot enough for the mozzies!!:P

 

Amateur Entomologist....

 

It's been wet and humid in London and the south-east but mosquitoes were always a feature of sticky summer nights sleeping in London for me. You'd hear the high pitch tone they emit as they fly near your head/ears. Annoying.

 

But mosquitoes actually don't need the heat.

 

The area of the earth with the highest concentration mosquitoes??

 

The Arctic tundra. ;)

Amateur Entomologist....

 

It's been wet and humid in London and the south-east but mosquitoes were always a feature of sticky summer nights sleeping in London for me. You'd hear the high pitch tone they emit as they fly near your head/ears. Annoying.

 

But mosquitoes actually don't need the heat.

 

The area of the earth with the highest concentration mosquitoes??

 

The Arctic tundra. ;)

 

Maybe, but that's only during the short Arctic summer, when it actually gets quite warm there.;)

Well, it does warm but only to 10-12 degrees C, at best. Most of the time it's lower than that, however - down to about 4-5C