MADRID – The early period of heat brings more than just the usual inconveniences. Experts warn of the early arrival of pests and an increased risk of pests this summer in Spain due to the high temperatures.
El director general de la Asociación Nacional de Empresas de Sanidad Ambiental @anecpla, avisa de que las altas temperaturas del mes de abril adelantarán las plagas propias del verano 🐛 🐞
Vía: Efe:verdehttps://t.co/7hjL1GFrO3 pic.twitter.com/SMMb02I2rC— Escuela Politécnica (@EPSunizar) April 27, 2023
Several species have pushed their reproductive cycle forward due to the early heat. Consequently, this increases the risk of pests later in the year. Jorge Galván of the National Association of Environmental Remediation Companies is concerned about this. He warns that the changing climate will only exacerbate the situation. By extending the reproduction time and speeding up the metabolism of these critters, they can reproduce and spread more easily.
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This is not just a local problem, as the World Health Organisation (WHO) has already warned of the increase in mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, zika and chikungunya. There are also other species that carry a higher risk of an infestation, such as mosquitoes, cockroaches, ticks and rats.
It is very important to work preventively
It is therefore, very important to work preventively, says the president of ANECPLA, Sergio Monge. He emphasises the importance of acting proactively and working on prevention. Neglecting posts related to pest prevention is a big problem, according to Monge. He points to the emergence of serious diseases such as Crimean Congo fever, transmitted by ticks, and West Nile virus, transmitted by mosquitoes, which previously did not seem to come close.
