Cover up: the mozzies are near

ANYONE hoping to spark up the barbie this week should be smothering themselves in insect repellent as the rain build-up in recent weeks has created ideal mosquito breeding conditions.

Wildlife expert and RTÉ personality, Eanna Ni Lamhna said stagnant rainwater should be emptied out of flower pots and garden containers so the pests can’t lay eggs.

Contrary to popular opinion, there are mosquitoes in Ireland — we can, in fact, lay claim to 20 different species.

“Mosquitoes lay their eggs in still water. People think there are no mosquitoes here but there are. However, the species in Ireland don’t carry malaria as it’s too cold,” she said.

According to Eanna, the ‘Little Ice Age’ experienced in this country in the late 1600s, wiped out malaria-carrying mozzies. The last person to die of malaria in Ireland was reportedly Oliver Cromwell who died in 1676.

None of the Irish mosquitoes carry malaria but they still bite like their foreign relatives. “They need water to lay eggs but also, they must bite. The female needs mammal blood so her eggs will hatch,” she said.

According to Eanna, there are a number of ways to minimise the bites, including taking vitamin B, which the mosquito doesn’t like the taste of, or simply covering up bare legs and arms.