New Attempts to Rid Towns in Provence of Pesky Mosquitoes

With recent news of Tiger Mosquito alerts in Monaco, and increased number of mosquitoes in general have prompted the mayor and residents of Sambuc near Arles in Provence to take action.

Having been bitten and plagued by mosquitoes over recent years the town of Sambuc has tried several, unsuccessful, methods to rid themselves of this pesky small creature. At the end of August an entirely new method will go on trial in the village.

The idea is a series of traps which use carbon dioxide to lure mosquitoes into a tube. Once inside, they cannot escape. Previous attempts have involved using natural insecticides on the insect larvae and although successful in reducing mosquito populations, the effect on the food chain was detrimental.

In total eleven traps have been set up in the village. The BAM (or vacuum box) simulates human breathing through emissions composed of carbon dioxide and pheromones. The insects then approach, believing their human victim to be close, then it is sucked through a stack and stored in a tank. The mosquito repellent solution and can be installed in urban areas, closer to homes without harm to humans.

The co-founder of Techno Bam who have produced the traps, Pierre Bellagambi, said the ‘vacuums’ were more environmentally-friendly and less costly than other treatments.

If this method proves successful then wider use across towns in and around Monaco and across France could be on the cards.