Lots of mosquitoes on warm spring or summer evenings. Image: Adobe Stock/Insiero.
When you think of mosquitoes, do you also immediately think of red, itchy mosquito bites? Or that annoying noise when you're trying to sleep? We often suffer from mosquitoes, especially in the warmer spring and summer months. Could mosquito nuisance in the Netherlands get worse due to climate change?
To link the impact of climate change to mosquitoes in the Netherlands, changes in temperature and precipitation are of particular importance. Unlike humans, mosquitoes have a variable body temperature, and are like chameleons to changes in their environment. Air temperature determines the mosquito's body temperature. In addition, mosquitoes are more active in warm weather, bite more and reproduce faster. In the Netherlands and countries with a similar climate, mosquitoes cause the greatest nuisance in the current climate in spring, summer and late summer.
Diseases that have not yet appeared
If the climate continues to warm, it will affect not only mosquito activity, but also the areas of Earth where these activities occur. In previously cold regions, where mosquitoes are now very rare, they can suddenly survive in a warmer climate. In areas where mosquitoes are already present, such as in the Netherlands, rising temperatures lead to the emergence of more mosquitoes and other species that can transmit new diseases. Consider, for example, West Nile virus, dengue fever, and even malaria.
In the Netherlands, mosquitoes can cause new diseases in warm weather. Photo: Hans van Loonen.
Nuisance from mosquitoes in most seasons
We have already noticed this in recent years Winter is becoming milder This keeps mosquitoes active longer. During cold weather in the winter, mosquitoes hibernate and then become active again in the spring. In warm winter weather this rest period is much shorter. The expectation is that Winters in the Netherlands are becoming less cold due to climate change More mosquitoes can survive. At the beginning of the new mosquito season we will actually start with more mosquitoes.
Late summer weather also results in a longer period in which we can suffer from mosquito bites. This type of weather postpones the beginning of winter dormancy for a while. The female mosquito can lay an additional round of eggs. If you are sitting on the balcony or in the garden at the end of September or the beginning of October, you still need to be careful of mosquito bites.
It is also warmer and more humid in the Netherlands
Not only does temperature affect mosquito nuisance in the Netherlands, but the amount of rainfall also plays a major role. If there is more rain, this increases the number of breeding areas. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in stagnant water. Think of puddles of water on the ground, dried ditches that form a thin layer of water or water that remains on surfaces after being wet for a long time. During large amounts of rain, flooded areas can also experience an abundance of mosquitoes.
We can now expect the greatest nuisance from mosquitoes in the spring, summer and late summer. Photo: Martin Hermes.
During the warm, humid spring, mosquitoes emerge from hibernation early. If we also had a mild winter in the same year and also got late summer weather, we would have mosquitoes longer and there would also be more mosquitoes. Spring temperatures have actually warmed by about a degree and a half in recent decades, which is to be expected Dutch spring will get warmer in the coming years. Rainfall of 5 to 10% is also expected this season. The trend in summer actually seems drier. In some long drought years, disturbance caused by mosquitoes may be limited. And it's not just spring that's getting warmer. Rising temperatures are also headlines in studies of climate change in other seasons.
Would you like to read more about the impact of climate change on Dutch weather? Check the Climate Department In our news blog.
Bottom line: longer inconvenience, more mosquitoes and new diseases
The effects of global warming will cause inconvenience for a longer period in the Netherlands. Mosquitoes are also more active and present in greater numbers due to higher temperatures and increased rainfall. The new species can transmit diseases and viruses to mosquitoes that spread more quickly in warm weather. It's really not a rosy picture of the future when it comes to mosquitoes. Below you will find some helpful tips to keep mosquitoes out of your home and garden!
