Known and popular with tourists, the Tuscan resort of Orbetello is hit by a nasty insect invasion just before “Ferragosto”, the height of the holiday season in Italy. These are small mosquitoes that swarm but do not bite.
The drought of recent weeks has multiplied these swarms, besieging the town in southern Tuscany and driving out tourists. Authorities called on residents and holidaymakers to keep their windows closed and not to hang their laundry outside.
Place “completely overrun” by insects
“Despite these measures, income has fallen by 60 percent,” complains restaurant owner Marco Di Pietro. “The countless swarms of mosquitoes gather around the light bulbs and move like clouds between the tables outside,” says Di Pietro. Tourists complain that Orbetello is “completely overrun” by insects.
Drought has seriously affected the natural enemies of mosquitoes
Biologist Mauro Lenzi stressed that the high numbers of these pesky but harmless swarms of mosquitoes in the lagoon are due to the fact that the high temperatures have reduced the presence of the insects’ natural enemies, such as frogs, bats and several species of birds.
The authorities announced disinfection measures for the fourth time in a few weeks. However, residents complained that thorough pest control, which normally takes place in the spring, was skipped this year.
Orbetello isn’t the only place to be plagued by insects this summer. The nearby Tuscan resort of Castiglione della Pescaia was infested by swarms of wasps.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
