The effect of ULV-based mosquito control on target and non-target organisms in Hungary: An experimental field study
5 affiliations
- 1Institute of Ecology and Botany, HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary
- 2National Laboratory for Health Security, HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Budapest, Hungary
- 3Doctoral School of Biology, Faculty of Science, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- 4Institute of Metagenomics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- 5Department of Plant Pathology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Institute of Plant Protection, Budapest, Hungary
Abstract
Ultra-low volume (ULV) insecticide spraying with deltamethrin as the active ingredient is widely used in mosquito control programs, yet its effectiveness against target mosquitoes and its ecological side effects remain poorly quantified under field conditions in Central Europe. Here, we experimentally evaluated the short-term impact of ground ULV spraying (using deltamethrin + Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium extract) on both mosquito populations and non-target flying insects in Hungary using a paired before–after-control–impact (BACI) design. Mosquitoes were sampled with BG Sentinel traps, while non-target insects were collected using malaise traps. ULV treatment resulted in a significant reduction in mosquito abundance at treated sites, with an average decline of approximately 47%. Native and invasive mosquito species, including Aedes albopictus and Aedes koreicus, showed similar proportional decreases. However, treatment effectiveness varied substantially among sites and was influenced by initial mosquito abundance and wind conditions. In parallel, malaise trap samples revealed a marked decline in non-target flying insects, with reductions exceeding 40% across multiple taxonomic groups, particularly among small and medium-sized insects, and also when considering pollinator taxa together. Our results indicate that while ULV spraying can temporarily reduce mosquito abundance, it also imposes considerable short-term impacts on non-target insect communities, highlighting trade-offs between vector control and insect conservation within mosquito management programs. Author summary: Mosquito control is an important public health measure because mosquitoes can transmit diseases and cause considerable nuisance. In many European countries, including Hungary, mosquito management relies heavily on spraying very small amounts of insecticide from vehicles to kill adult mosquitoes. However, there is surprisingly little field-based evidence showing how well this approach works against target mosquitoes under real conditions or how it affects other bugs. We evaluated the short-term effects of ground-based insecticide (deltametrin) spraying by comparing insect abundance at treated and untreated sites before and after mosquito control operations performed in different municipalities. We found that spraying reduced mosquito numbers by about half, and it was similarly effective against both native mosquitoes and invasive species such as the Asian tiger mosquito. However, the success of the treatment varied substantially among locations and was influenced by local environmental conditions, such as wind power. Spraying also caused marked declines in many non-target flying insects, including pollinators. These findings demonstrate that current mosquito control practices involve a clear trade-off between reducing mosquito populations and protecting insect biodiversity. Our study highlights the need for mosquito management strategies that better balance public health goals with the conservation of beneficial insects.
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BibTeX
@article{garamszegi2026effect,
title = {{The effect of ULV-based mosquito control on target and non-target organisms in Hungary: An experimental field study}},
author = {László Zsolt Garamszegi and Gergely Nagy and Ágnes Klein and Tamara Szentiványi and Zsóka Vásárhelyi and Gábor Markó and Sándor Zsebők and Zoltán Soltész},
journal = {PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0014140},
url = {https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014140},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The effect of ULV-based mosquito control on target and non-target organisms in Hungary: An experimental field study
AU - László Zsolt Garamszegi
AU - Gergely Nagy
AU - Ágnes Klein
AU - Tamara Szentiványi
AU - Zsóka Vásárhelyi
AU - Gábor Markó
AU - Sándor Zsebők
AU - Zoltán Soltész
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/05
JO - PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
DO - 10.1371/journal.pntd.0014140
UR - https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014140
AB - Ultra-low volume (ULV) insecticide spraying with deltamethrin as the active ingredient is widely used in mosquito control programs, yet its effectiveness against target mosquitoes and its ecological side effects remain poorly quantified under field conditions in Central Europe. Here, we experimentally evaluated the short-term impact of ground ULV spraying (using deltamethrin + Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium extract) on both mosquito populations and non-target flying insects in Hungary using a paired before–after-control–impact (BACI) design. Mosquitoes were sampled with BG Sentinel traps, while non-target insects were collected using malaise traps. ULV treatment resulted in a significant reduction in mosquito abundance at treated sites, with an average decline of approximately 47%. Native and invasive mosquito species, including Aedes albopictus and Aedes koreicus, showed similar proportional decreases. However, treatment effectiveness varied substantially among sites and was influenced by initial mosquito abundance and wind conditions. In parallel, malaise trap samples revealed a marked decline in non-target flying insects, with reductions exceeding 40% across multiple taxonomic groups, particularly among small and medium-sized insects, and also when considering pollinator taxa together. Our results indicate that while ULV spraying can temporarily reduce mosquito abundance, it also imposes considerable short-term impacts on non-target insect communities, highlighting trade-offs between vector control and insect conservation within mosquito management programs. Author summary: Mosquito control is an important public health measure because mosquitoes can transmit diseases and cause considerable nuisance. In many European countries, including Hungary, mosquito management relies heavily on spraying very small amounts of insecticide from vehicles to kill adult mosquitoes. However, there is surprisingly little field-based evidence showing how well this approach works against target mosquitoes under real conditions or how it affects other bugs. We evaluated the short-term effects of ground-based insecticide (deltametrin) spraying by comparing insect abundance at treated and untreated sites before and after mosquito control operations performed in different municipalities. We found that spraying reduced mosquito numbers by about half, and it was similarly effective against both native mosquitoes and invasive species such as the Asian tiger mosquito. However, the success of the treatment varied substantially among locations and was influenced by local environmental conditions, such as wind power. Spraying also caused marked declines in many non-target flying insects, including pollinators. These findings demonstrate that current mosquito control practices involve a clear trade-off between reducing mosquito populations and protecting insect biodiversity. Our study highlights the need for mosquito management strategies that better balance public health goals with the conservation of beneficial insects.
SN - 1935-2735
SN - 1935-2727
ER -