Free App Available To Combat Rise In Malaga’s Mosquitoes

REPORTEDLY, mosquitoes are on the increase in Malaga, but there is a new free digital surveillance tool called ‘Mosquito Alert’ that tracks the presence and activity of insects.

The arrival of summer, unfortunately, brings mosquitoes with it, in the last few days, the Regional Ministry of Health has detected an increase in the density of mosquitoes potentially transmitting the Nile virus, writes La Opinión de Málaga, Monday, July 24.

The information was generated from trapping stations located in Campillos, Malaga; Montalbán, Cordoba, mainly due to the common house mosquito (Culex pipiens).

In order to combat various disease-spreading species, responsible for Zika, dengue, chikungunya and West Nile fever – the ‘Mosquito Alert‘ App was launched.

The App allows anyone to provide information on the presence and activity of mosquitoes. Described by its founders as a citizen science project that ‘studies the presence and dispersion of mosquito vectors of diseases and helps in the monitoring and control of them.’

Which Areas Of Malaga Have The Most Mosquitoes?

The ‘Mosquito Alert’ shows the areas with the highest presence of mosquitoes and classifies them by type: tiger, common, Japanese, Korean or yellow fever mosquitoes, among others.

In Malaga, the tiger mosquito is the species most present, with up to 202 different points where they have been detected.

Despite being in almost all the districts of Malaga, the application shows that the areas of El Cónsul, Teatinos and El Palo are the areas of Malaga with the highest number of tiger mosquitoes. These are followed by the neighbourhoods of Carranque, El Atabal and Puerto de la Torre.

Other areas where there is a high concentration of these insects is in the area of Parque Litoral, specifically in Avenida Imperio Argentina and Calle Unión Mercantil.

The map also reveals that there are 25 points in the city where common mosquitoes are present. The presence of this type of insect is significant in the Carretera de Cádiz neighbourhood, specifically in Calle Comandante Román and Calle Sargento Crooke López.

How ‘Mosquito Alert’ Works

The ‘Mosquito Alert’ app is available on Google Play and works in other areas of Spain. The app is free and once downloaded, the user must mark the area in which they are interested.

Users can also contribute by indicating if they have seen a particular type of mosquito, as well as the location of breeding (something common in wet areas and near sewers).

Difference Between Tiger And Common Mosquito

The tiger mosquito first arrived in Spain in 2004, from Southeast Asia, and was detected in the region of Catalonia. Since then, its expansion has been rapid. As of 2023, the insect has been detected in more than 40 Spanish provinces, from the Mediterranean coastal regions to the north and west of the country

The tiger mosquito has a much more aggressive behaviour than the common mosquito. The peculiarity of the tiger mosquito is that it is small (5-10mm), black in colour and with white stripes on the head, abdomen, thorax and legs.

The main difference between the common mosquito and the tiger mosquito is that the latter bites during the day and usually bites on the lower limbs. The most common times to attack are between 6:00 am and 10:00 am, and between 4:00 pm and 10:00 pm

Despite their size, the strength of their bite is greater. They have been known to pierce clothing, and their bites can spread  tropical diseases such as Dengue or Nile fever.