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An unexpected result of the cool weather on French soil, mosquitoes appear in greater numbers in autumn. They hibernate when the weather is cold, even though this has not yet happened.
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Mosquitoes in November: a nightmare experienced by many residents almost everywhere in France, such as on the Côte d’Azur. In a residential area in Antibes (Alpes-Maritimes) especially attacked by tiger mosquitoes this summer, Frédéric Samozino contracted chikungunya. And surprisingly, a few days ago: “I was stung again, one night. This year is a bit special. We had some beautiful, warm days, so maybe they still survive.”
Among the neighbors, the same observation: these insects, which are very active in summer, are increasingly present in autumn. “Ten years ago, it was amazing. There, it’s commonplace. It doesn’t even surprise us anymore“confided Raymonde Moragues.
How to explain such a phenomenon? “Climate change and recent heat waves favor insect reproduction. And if these cool temperatures are combined with the availability of water from rain, mosquitoes will continue to breed“, answered Claudio Lazzari, researcher at the University of Tours (Indre-et-Loire) and the Research Institute of Insect Biology.
Despite blue skies, temperatures are expected to drop. The mosquitoes will then disappear until spring.
