Latest news with #Agencerégionalededémoustication
Local France
4 days ago
- Health
- Local France
'Perfect summer' for mosquitoes in Paris region
Mosquitoes are a common, if annoying, feature of summer in France - but this year they are particularly numerous in the Île-de-France region in northern France. Scientists say that the relatively cool, damp July that Paris and the surrounding areas saw created a perfect breeding ground for the irritating pests, with the August heatwave adding good flying conditions. The conditions are especially good for tiger mosquitoes - a relatively recent import, originally found in Asia, which can spread diseases including dengue fever, zika and chikungunya. Advertisement "The only difference this year compared to previous years is the various periods of rain in July. This has caused several pockets of water to fill up in urban areas," Johan Hemminki, a researcher at the Île-de-France Regional Biodiversity Agency, told French newspaper Le Parisien . Georges Jakerian, operations manager for the regional mosquito control agency Agence régionale de démoustication , said: "Add that July rain to the current heat, and you have the perfect combination for a resurgence of tiger mosquitoes." Tiger mosquitoes, distinguished by their black and white striped bodies, are active during the day, unlike the more common mosquitoes, which tend to come out at night. READ ALSO : How to prevent the spread of tiger mosquitoes in France Originally found in Asia, warming temperatures mean they are increasingly common in Europe and over the last decade or so, have gradually moved north through France. They are now regularly found in almost all of the country , apart from some areas along the Channel coast. They are believed to be behind the rise in cases of chikungunya fever among people who have not travelled to the regions where the disease is endemic. READ ALSO : 'The risk is real': France sees rise in cases of chikungunya fever
Local France
4 days ago
- General
- Local France
French word of the Day: Démoustication
Why do I need to know démoustication ? Because it's a vital summer activity, and it introduces a common French grammar motif. What does it mean? Démoustication - pronounced as day-moose-tick-ass-ion - meaning 'de-mosquito-ing' or more correctly mosquito control/eradication. The French word for mosquito is un moustique, and in the summer, you will see shelves full of anti-moustique products in the pharmacy or the garden centre. There are multiple outdoor products, including citronella candles and plants that allegedly repel mosquitoes . Mosquitoes are becoming an increasing problem in France as warming temperatures have seen the spread of tiger mosquitoes ( moustiques tigres ), which can spread several potentially fatal diseases. Which brings us to la démoustication - this is usually used to describe widespread, professional mosquito control operations, carried out by either private pest control companies or government agencies such as the Agence de démoustication (mosquito control agency). Advertisement The addition of the prefix 'dé' to a word to signal an ending or an eradication/control is quite common in French, you may have heard of dératisation - rat-culling - or remember the déconfinement - the ending of lockdown ( confinement ) during the Covid pandemic. Although the prefix exists to an extent in English, it's more commonly used in a casual or spoken way, eg "I need to de-flea the dog' - while in French it is formal and grammatically correct, as evidenced by its use in the official name for a government agency. Use it like this L'opération démoustication débutera la semaine prochaine dans tout le département - the mosquito control operation will start next week across the whole département Agence régionale de démoustication affirme que c'est un été idéal pour les moustiques à Paris - the regional mosquito control agency confirmed that this is an ideal summer for mosquitoes in Paris
