Mosquito hunting: classic, ecological or electronic, solutions to fight the plague of summer

This is the obsession of tourists, so no choice, you have to arm yourself. The war against mosquitoes has become one of the most lucrative markets of the summer. Electric jacks, aerosols, spirals … every year, the French spend more than 50 million euros of insecticides to kill these little animals. And as far as we know, the best way to fight this plague is to kill them before they are born.

According to the WHO, the elimination of breeding sites – stagnant water where females lay their eggs – remains the most effective method for fighting mosquitoes. Pots of flowers, buckets, toys for children, watering cans, wheelbarrows, gutters or gutters … So many containers that can hold water in case of bad weather or watering. And if a few hundred liters of water are enough for the reproduction of thousands of creatures, the hunt for water points often turns into a real police investigation.

To use wisely

But once they are there, what to do? Raid, Begon, Vulcano, the market is trusted by major brands, with one goal: to kill the enemy at all costs. To stand out from the competition, these brands seem to innovate each year. On the form yes, but not on the bottom! All manufacturers still use the same product, pyrethrum, a very old insecticide, originally extracted from a chrysanthemum from Africa. Pyrethrin and pyrethroids in our aerosols disrupt neurotransmitters and paralyze the lymphatic system of cold-blooded animals. If by chance, these products have no known toxicity known to us, they are however very active substances that must be used wisely. Their destructive power is the same for all cold-blooded animals, be they fleas, badroaches, but also fish, turtles, bees, ladybugs or butterflies.

C ' is why today insecticides have new competitors: repellents. With them, we do not kill mosquitoes, we make them flee. Spray, stick, scented balls … They are sold between two and fifteen euros, and sales explode. Are these mosquito "bodyguards" effective? In France, more than a thousand products, claiming repulsive efficacy against mosquitoes, are currently on the market. The results of laboratory studies confirm the effectiveness of several molecules such as icaridine, IR3535, DEET, or citriodiol. But some are more harmful than others.

Ecological Alternatives

In addition to the recognized use of repellents, some rely on ecological alternatives to control mosquitoes. In the case of essential oils, some are effective in theory, but in reality they are not good ways to protect against mosquitoes. First, they pose problems in case of exposure to the sun, because they are oily products and therefore potentially harmful to the skin. And most importantly, the essential oils sold in the shops are of very poor quality. They are composed of mixtures of molecules of which nothing is known and which can cause allergies.

Thus new weapons are invented each year, more or less effective, more or less convincing. In vogue, a bracelet that diffuses a mixture of essential oils supposed to camouflage the smell of the human skin. And despite contrasting performance, the anti-mosquito bracelet hits the mark. More practical, more fun, it's almost become a fashion accessory. Last year, it sold nearly 700 000 in France.

Ineffective smartphone applications

Latest fashionable gadget: applications for smartphones. They emit ultrasound imperceptible to man, but the frequency is supposed to scare mosquitoes. And it is certainly the best-known scam in the field of applications. The proof is very simple: within the same species, the sound frequency generated by the flapping of wings varies according to the size of the individuals, and from one species to another (there would be more than 300 species and sub-species). species of mosquitoes in France, Editor's note) … which tends to prove the absolute inefficiency of this ploy. And yet, a large number of publishers wanted to take advantage of the credulity of users to make them download "the ultimate anti-mosquito application". But let's be clear, a smartphone will never produce ultrasound capable of driving mosquitoes away. So put your device and go instead to find lemongrbad incense sticks. And do not forget, the problem with mosquitoes is that the war is never won. It resumes every summer.