The almost complete lack of rain during June and the wet and windy weather during July have meant that there are noticeably fewer mosquitoes this summer. Mosquitoes need stagnant water and this was noticeably lacking at the beginning of the summer. The insect expert Peter Berx told VRT News that the often-windy conditions during July were also bad news for mosquitoes. Meanwhile, the cool spring means that there are considerably fewer wasps this summer.
The mosquito population is down considerably compared with recent years. The reason for this is the weather. In June it hardly rained all and "Mosquitoes need stagnant water in which to deposit their larvae" the insect expert Peter Berx told VRT News. "The eggs then need a few weeks to develop into a full-fledged mosquito population. This didn’t happen as almost all the puddles had dried up in June."
Mr Berx went on to say that while the current wet spell is good news for the mosquitoes to an extent they are still behind when it comes to reproduction. Furthermore, the recent stormy conditions are not ideal for mosquitoes either.
"The wind blows the small, delicate creatures in all directions and the rain also prevents them from being airborne”.
Fewer wasps too
The number of wasps is also estimated to be lower this summer than in previous years. Peter Berx says that this is due to the cold spring. "This delayed them starting-up their colonies. The rain also makes it more difficult for them to fly and some ground nests are at risk of being flooded”.
Peter Berx went on to say that much will depend on the temperatures and precipitation during the coming weeks and months. If we have a warm autumn, we may still see a short surge in the number of wasps.
Not as good as it sounds
A year with fewer mosquitoes and wasps may sound like music to many people’s ears. However, it is not necessarily good news.
"It is not a problem if it is for one year. But if the decrease persists for several years and populations really shrink, then there is a problem. Wasps are useful as hunters and without them we would, for example, have caterpillar infestations or large populations of flies. What people often don't know about mosquitoes is that they are nectar drinkers and therefore they pollinate plants and flowers. Only the females suck blood while laying eggs. But in general, mosquitoes help to maintain flora."