VALENCIA has become the first city in Spain to use drones for detecting mosquito nests.
A small flying object with a built-in camera allows the council to seek out stagnant waters with mosquito larvae in areas difficult for humans to access, such as the rice fields in the Albufera wetlands, says the pest-control firm Lokímica which works for the local authority.
Rules for drone use are very strict, says local health department leader Lourdes Bernal.
They have to take stringent measures to ensure these do not affect residents' privacy, meaning they limit them to air-space above council-owned property only, always ensuring they are within sight, never more than half a kilometre from their operators, who are required to have a certain level of aeronautical training.
Unusually high September temperatures, combined with heavy rainfall in the last few days mean mosquitos are more prevalent than they normally would be in early autumn, so the city council intends to keep the drone in use until at least November.
The council has two anti-mosquito brigades working year-round, an extra three in summer, and an immediate-response team which heads out to the site of mosquitoes, rats or cockroaches within 48 hours of being contacted by residents affected.
So far, the drone has found 335 mosquito nests, of which just over 200 are active.
None of these are the feared tiger mosquitoes, Lokímica assures.
Next February, Valencia will also become the first city in Spain to host the annual international conference held by the European Mosquito Control Association (EMCA).
