Scotland suddenly has a lot of mosquitoes

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2024-05-11 21:00:04

By Tom Hawking | Published May 10, 2024 3:34 PM EDT

As the global temperature rises, so too does the range of tropical concerns. One of the most prominent examples of this is the increasing presence in temperate zones of vector-borne diseases once confined to regions around the equator–diseases that are carried by living organisms, including mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and lice.

The arrival of increasing numbers of mosquitoes in regions where they haven’t previously been a significant presence, for example, means the potential arrival of mosquito-borne diseases in places ill-equipped to deal with them. The latest country to experience this first-hand is Scotland, a country whose primary flying irritant has been the humble midge. However, a new research project is examining how widespread mosquitoes are across the country—and it’s found that they’re basically everywhere.

According to the BBC, researchers from the University of Glasgow hung traps at 24 locations across the country, and found mosquitoes at every one. In total, they found 16 different species of mosquito—a small fraction of the 4,000 species that exist worldwide, but enough to startle those carrying out the study: “[Researchers] were surprised to find the insects in all corners of the country.”