Szerző: journals.plos.org
Author summary Mosquito control is an important public health measure because mosquitoes can transmit diseases and cause considerable nuisance. In many European countries, including Hungary, mosquito management relies heavily on spraying very small amounts of insecticide from vehicles to kill adult mosquitoes. However, there is surprisingly little field-based evidence showing how well this approach works against target mosquitoes under real conditions or how it affects other bugs. We evaluated the short-term effects of ground-based insecticide (deltametrin) spraying by comparing insect abundance at treated and untreated sites before and after mosquito control operations performed in different municipalities. We found that spraying reduced mosquito numbers by about half, and it was similarly effective against both native mosquitoes and invasive species such as the Asian tiger mosquito. However, the success of the treatment varied substantially among locations and was influenced by local environmental conditions, such as wind power. Spraying also caused marked declines in many non-target flying insects, including pollinators. These findings demonstrate that current mosquito control practices involve a clear trade-off between reducing mosquito populations and protecting insect biodiversity. Our study highlights the need for mosquito management strategies that better balance public health goals with the conservation of beneficial insects.
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