From pixabay free to use One of the most effective ways of controlling infectious diseases is to take measures to restrict their vectors. However, an obstacle to fighting infectious diseases can be people themselves – whether through lack of education or through perception and attitude towards the risks posed by the vectors.
One growing part [excuse the pun!] of the modern urban environment where this mosquito can be found in are community gardens – these are social initiatives that have become increasingly popular in France over the last 20 years. Pénélope Duval and her colleagues surveyed gardeners from 288 community gardens in Lyon, to measure gardener motivation and attitude to the mosquito’s presence and its control measures.
Almost 95% of the gardeners surveyed knew the mosquito breeds in still waters, but more than 80% of them believed, incorrectly, that they also breed in vegetation. Furthermore, only 31.3% knew about the significance of biological control measures, and 9 gardeners in total could explain the different control measures available.
Alas only 10.5% of gardeners felt that the mosquito control measures currently used in their gardens were effective.