Smart traps and mint: Beijing's first mosquito-free park

Yongdinghe Park in Beijing has achieved a unique distinction: it is now the city's first "mosquito-free" park, thanks to an innovative pilot project. Authorities are employing a multi-pronged strategy to combat the growing presence of mosquitoes in northern China, which have been linked to outbreaks of dengue and chikungunya.

The park's "anti-mosquito" approach focuses on three key areas. First, smart traps are deployed, mimicking humans by releasing carbon dioxide and heat to attract and suction up female mosquitoes, the only ones that bite. These devices, visible to park visitors, display real-time capture counts, sometimes reaching up to 3,000 mosquitoes daily.

“

The devices, visible to any walker, have a screen that counts the day's captures in real time, which can reach up to 3,000 mosquitoes.

Complementing the technology, nature plays a significant role. Approximately 800 square meters of the park are dedicated to repellent plants such as mint, Chinese bellflower, and catnip. These plants, along with soil sterilization processes, contribute to the mosquito-repelling environment. The third aspect involves regular control of breeding grounds, including maintaining vegetation and cleaning rainwater collection areas and drainage ditches.

This initiative is part of a broader municipal plan to manage mosquito populations. Other areas in Beijing are also adopting these measures, while some, like Xiangshan Park, are experimenting with introducing fish that feed on mosquito larvae in their ponds. The move comes as climate change, urban heat islands, and increased human and goods movement create more favorable conditions for mosquitoes to expand their range and activity season northward.

“

The conditions in the northern part of the country are becoming increasingly favorable for the survival of these insects.