Mosquitoes are currently increasingly noticeable in Vienna. According to Gelsen expert Bernhard Seidel, the reason for this is that two weeks after the flood in Lower Austria, the entire stored brood of flood gels came out at once. Compared to the hordes after the catastrophic floods in the 1990s, the incident is ‘harmless’. In three weeks the nightmare should be over.
Flood gels are usually more common: they lay their eggs in the mud of the floodplains and, as has happened now, can survive for years when it dries. When the floodplains are flooded again, the larvae of several years hatch at the same time and there are many mosquitoes, which can also appear in large swarms. In Austria, Vienna is particularly affected as they are driven into the federal capital by the westerly wind.
Flood gels also sting during the day
According to Seidel, the population is especially aware of the plague because there has not been a large population in Gelsen in the past two years. Moreover, unlike the normal mosquito, the flood mosquito also bites during the day.
Gelsen’s predictions are quite difficult
Overall, Vienna is experiencing “a normal Gelsenjahr,” Hans Peter Führer, a parasitologist at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, told ORF. “The last two years have been very weak mosquito years and that is why we may notice it especially this year.” It is not possible to make predictions about the course of the Gelsen season, says Führer, due to the development of the Gelsen population. is highly dependent on the weather.
According to Seidel, the Viennese must quickly get rid of their uninvited guests. “If it stays nice, the floods will be a thing of the past in three weeks,” said Seidel. Other mosquitoes can then cause trouble.
Source: Krone
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