> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://barna.news/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Barcelona trials sterile mosquito tech against tiger mosquito - URL: https://barna.news/barcelona-trials-sterile-mosquito-tech/ - Published: 2026-10-16T07:31:51.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-16T07:31:51.000Z - Description: Barcelona is launching Europe's first large-scale urban trial using sterile male mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia to curb the tiger mosquito population. - Author: Barna.News - Tags: environment ## Europe's first urban trial of its kind The Barcelona Public Health Agency (ASPB) has launched a pilot study to test a novel method for controlling the tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) using the sterile insect technique with Wolbachia bacteria. This marks the first large-scale urban application of the approach in Europe, aiming to reduce the city's tiger mosquito population without biocides. ## How the technique works Scientists at ASPB, in collaboration with Lokímica and Debug, are breeding local tiger mosquito eggs in the laboratory and introducing a strain of the naturally occurring bacterium Wolbachia. Male mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia are then released into selected neighbourhoods. Since male mosquitoes do not bite or transmit disease, their release poses no health risk to residents. When Wolbachia-carrying males mate with wild females that lack the bacterium, the resulting eggs are not viable. This reproductive incompatibility, known as the incompatible insect technique (IIT), gradually reduces the local tiger mosquito population. Approximately 80,000 sterile male mosquitoes are released weekly during the mosquito activity season, which typically runs from May to November. The releases are taking place at two intervention sites and one control site to allow for scientific evaluation. ## Complementary, not replacement, strategy The ASPB stresses that this method complements, but does not replace, existing control measures. Conventional actions such as eliminating standing water, public awareness campaigns, and larval surveillance remain essential. "Reducing breeding sites is still the cornerstone of mosquito control," an ASPB spokesperson said. "This innovative tool could strengthen our integrated management model, especially in areas where traditional methods face challenges." --- ## Potential for sustainable control Wolbachia is a common bacterium found in many insect species and does not affect humans, animals, or the environment. The technique has shown promise in preliminary trials in Italy, where weekly releases of modified males led to a measurable reduction in egg viability and female fertility in treated areas. The Barcelona study will assess the effectiveness, sustainability, and scalability of the method in a dense urban environment. Results will inform whether the technique could be expanded citywide in future years. For more information on the mosquito surveillance programme, see the [ASPB's 2024 mosquito monitoring report](https://www.aspb.cat/es/documentos/programa-vigilancia-mosquitos-2024/?ref=barna.news). --- *Primary sources:* [*pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov*](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6341941/?ref=barna.news)*,* [*sanidad.gob.es*](https://www.sanidad.gob.es/biblioPublic/publicaciones/recursos%5Fpropios/resp/revista%5Fcdrom/VOL97/ORIGINALES/RS97C%5F202303017.pdf?ref=barna.news)*,* [*pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov*](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31603613/?ref=barna.news)*,* [*Barcelona City Council*](https://www.barcelona.cat/infobarcelona/en/tema/health-and-safety/smart-traps-introduced-for-control-and-monitoring-of-tiger-mosquitos%5F1521928.html?ref=barna.news)*. Reported by aspb.cat, Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona (ASPB).* --- ### Related on Barna.News - [Nine Wild Boars Test Positive for African Swine Fever](https://barna.news/nine-wild-boars-test-positive-for/) - [7 in 10 Barcelona schools exceed EU 2030 pollution limits](https://barna.news/7-in-10-barcelona-schools-exceed-eu/) - [Half of Barcelona's Flood-Prone Population in Besòs Basin](https://barna.news/half-of-barcelona-s-flood-prone/)