This mosquito, also known as the Asian Tiger Mosquito, is a known West Nile Virus vector.
Credit: James Gathany / Creative Commons
As temperatures soar across the Costa Blanca, the town of Finestrat has launched its annual campaign to combat public health vectors, including the increasingly common and invasive tiger mosquito. The local council has initiated treatments in several key areas where stagnant water provides the perfect breeding ground for these pests, whose spread has been exacerbated by climate change and global warming.
The municipal campaign targets urban drainage grates, the former irrigation pond, Alcalde Miguel Llorca Park, the Font del Molí spring, and the La Cala ravine. “These treatments have begun in various areas of the municipality where water tends to accumulate,” explained Estela Álvarez, Finestrat’s councillor for the environment. “As we all know, high temperatures combined with even small amounts of standing water create ideal conditions for the proliferation of the tiger mosquito and other vectors we must also control,” she added.
The council is particularly concerned about the potential health risks associated with these insects. “In addition to the nuisance they cause, there’s a significant concern around the transmission of diseases,” said Nati Algado, the councillor for health. “We’re seeing the emergence of new illnesses, such as West Nile virus, which can reach our territory through migratory birds and other animals. Once here, they are transmitted by these vectors.”
The campaign is aimed at controlling mosquitoes of the Culex, Aedes, and Anopheles genera, ticks from both the Ixodidae family — such as Hyalomma, Rhipicephalus, Dermacentor, and Ixodes — and the Argasidae family (Ornithodoros), as well as phlebotomine sandflies.
Alongside the technical measures, the local government is also calling on residents to play an active role in preventing the spread of these vectors. “It’s essential that we all avoid creating damp environments where insects can breed — puddles, water-filled plant pots, or bowls left in gardens can all become dangerous,” said Álvarez. To support this public awareness effort, the town hall will be distributing posters and leaflets with simple preventive guidelines.
Vector Proliferation
The four-month Action Plan against Vector Proliferation, supported by the Alicante Provincial Council, includes regular inspections and treatments using larvicides and adulticides every ten days in the affected areas.
With the health threats posed by invasive insects growing each summer, Finestrat’s comprehensive approach seeks to protect both locals and visitors by addressing the issue before it escalates.
The tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus), originally from Southeast Asia, has spread rapidly across much of Spain since it was first detected in Catalonia in 2004. Its proliferation has been fuelled by rising temperatures, unplanned urban development, and the abundance of small water containers in urban and suburban areas, where the insect lays its eggs. Unlike other mosquito species, the tiger mosquito is highly active during the daytime and has a remarkable ability to adapt, allowing it to colonise new environments quickly. Beyond its aggressive bites, it poses a public health risk as a potential vector for diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika.
At the national level, Spain’s Ministry of Health coordinates surveillance and control efforts in collaboration with regional governments, particularly in Mediterranean areas such as Catalonia, the Valencian Community, Murcia and Andalusia. These initiatives include population monitoring, the use of larvicides and adulticides, and public awareness campaigns encouraging residents to eliminate breeding grounds. While no major outbreaks have occurred so far in Spain, the presence of imported cases and the ongoing effects of climate change have prompted strengthened prevention measures and inter-agency cooperation to contain the insect’s spread.
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