Culex Pipiens Complex
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Attached is information from the Northland District Health Board regarding the exotic mosquito Culex Pi[iens Complex.
Simple things we can all do to help keep them out of NZ……
- Please do not interfere with the mosquito traps around the site – some need power and gas supply 24/7 to be effective but occasionally they have been turned off.
- Report anything that doesn’t look right – thanks to people doing this, we’ve been able to send egg/larvae/mosquitos for analysis to confirm whether they were native or not. Early detection provides a far higher chance of successful eradication.
- If conducting an Accredited Person (AP) check on a container, follow your training and ensure the correct insecticide is in your hand and look up as the door is first opened.
Ps: For those who spotted the unusual name in the attachment: these mozzies made a name for themselves by biting people sheltering from German air raids in the tunnels of the London Underground during the Second World War, and scientists once thought the species evolved in the subway. However, a genetic analysis suggests that the species originated thousands of years ago in the Middle East.