Vienna experiences a brief Gelsenplage after the floods – Vienna – 1st district

Mosquitoes are currently becoming more noticeable in Vienna. The reason for this, says Gelsen expert Bernhard Seidel, is that two weeks after the flooding in Lower Austria, all the stored flood gel hatched immediately. Compared to the hordes after the extreme floods of the 1990s, the occurrence of this event was “harmless”. After three weeks, the nightmare should be over again.

Flood gels usually appear more frequently: they lay their eggs in the mud of the floodplain, as is happening now, and if it dries up, they can survive for several years. If the floodplain is flooded again, several years of larvae hatch at the same time, and mosquitoes emerge in large numbers, also in swarms. In Austria, Vienna is particularly badly affected, as they are blown into the federal capital by westerly winds.

Seidel said that because the population of Gelsen has not been large in the past two years, people are particularly concerned about the plague. In addition, unlike ordinary mosquitoes, flood mosquitoes also bite people during the day.

Hans Peter Führer, a parasitologist at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, told ORF that overall, Vienna is experiencing a “normal Gelsenshire”. “The last two years were very weak years for mosquitoes, so this year we may notice this particularly.” According to the Führer, it is impossible to make any predictions about the course of the Gelsenshire season, as the development of the Gelsenshire population depends largely on the weather.

Seidl believes that the Viennese should get rid of the unwanted guests as soon as possible. “If the weather remains good, the floods will be history in three weeks,” Seidl said. Other mosquitoes could cause harm.