The Hort de Baix has launched a pioneering project for the reduction of the tiger mosquito promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, an innovative and environmentally friendly method that has proven to be highly effective, reducing the presence of this insect by up to 80% and involving the weekly release of thousands of sterile tiger mosquitoes.
The mayor of Elche, Pablo Ruz, expressed gratitude to the regional administration for establishing this effort, which “will help us fight the tiger mosquito, which is not only a threat due to the discomfort it causes but also a threat to public health itself, requiring unique and effective measures like this one.”
Miguel Barrachina, Minister of Agriculture, explained that this technique, which involves releasing sterilised males to prevent the species from reproducing, “is part of a comprehensive biotechnological control plan that is being implemented in various locations in the Valencian Community with the aim of minimising risks.”
According to Vicente Dalmau, head of the Plant Health department at the Generalitat Valenciana, “This pest control method, known as TIE, will release enormous quantities of sterile, non-biting male tiger mosquitoes. These men will mate with wild females, and the eggs they lay will be non-viable (since the male is sterile). This way there will be no offspring, and the goal is to limit pest populations.”
The municipality of Elche will disperse roughly 2.4 million sterile mosquitoes between 2025 and 2026, covering approximately 18 hectares. Due to the insects’ natural dispersal patterns, we expect the treatment to impact over 50 hectares of the municipality, including both agricultural and urban areas.
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