In all countries and governments, responsibilities for public health and invasive species are separated into distinct agencies and administrations. This project is led by research centers whose primary purpose is to conduct research. For this reason, we do not engage directly in monitoring or control programs.
However, we do collaborate with administrations such as the Barcelona Public Health Agency (ASPB) in topics related to control of disease vectors. Data sent by citizens via Mosquito Alert are very valuable to public entities working to control and monitor these insects. In Spain there are many professionals working on the control of the tiger mosquito in places like Valencia, Barcelona, el Baix Llobregat, or Girona. There are even public service units whose only mission is to monitor and control these mosquitos.
The tiger mosquito is not like other mosquito species that breed in wetlands; instead, this mosquito hides in and lays eggs in small containers. A large portion of these kinds of mosquito-friendly objects are often found on private property, making them difficult to detect in order to deal with the problem. The best way to fight proliferation of this mosquito is through prevention. Along these lines, Mosquito Alert is an important tool for raising awareness about the application of control measures in the home and on private property.
