Microbial control of mosquitoes: management of the upper rhine mosquito population as a model programme

For more than a decade, Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) and B. sphaericus have been used successfully as biological control agents against mosquitoes in Germany. Over 1000 km(2) of breeding areas have been treated with Bti, resulting in a yearly reduction of the mosquito population by more than 90%, without evidence of any harmful impact on the environment. Here, Norbert Becker describes the control strategy and operational use of Bti and B. sphaericus in Germany.