Değirmenlik-Akıncılar Municipality finds 560 mosquito breeding sites in 18 villages

Değirmenlik-Akıncılar Municipality (Değirmenlik-Akıncılar Belediyesi) in Northern Cyprus has mapped potential mosquito breeding sites as part of the “City Without Pesticides” project. Specialists identified 560 such sites across the 18 villages within the municipality’s boundaries.

The project focuses on controlling larvae at their breeding sites rather than spraying insecticides against adult insects. Teams remove the breeding sites themselves, alter environmental conditions, conduct regular monitoring and use biological treatments. Chemical treatment remains a last resort: it harms the environment and, over time, causes mosquitoes to develop resistance to pesticides.

All identified sites are checked every 10 days. According to the municipality, treatment with biological larvicides prevents larvae from developing into adult mosquitoes in 95% of cases.

The risk map includes flowerpots, ornamental ponds and swimming pools, streams and bodies of water, discarded vehicle tyres, cemeteries and any accumulation of stagnant water.

Laden Serinsu, head of the municipality’s Health and Social Support Department, explained that spraying against adult mosquitoes reaches only a small part of the population, whereas work at breeding sites produces significantly better results. Residents are asked to keep water containers covered, empty open vessels once a week, store unused items under cover and clean swimming pools regularly.