Is Mallorca overrun by 'Super-Cockroaches'?
The cockroaches in Mallorca are becoming more numerous and resistant to the previously used insecticides. This was reported by a Spanish newspaper, which referred to it as the "Plague of Super Cockroaches."
Climate crisis may make Germans' favorite island less desirable. Not because it's getting warmer on Mallorca, possibly too warm for tourists from the north. No, rather, the temperature and humidity on the Balearic Islands are becoming more in line with the requirements of a different visitor group: cockroaches. They seem to have found a liking for the holiday region, where over 4.5 million Germans traveled last year.
According to the Spanish newspaper "Ultima Hora," there is a "Plague of Super Cockroaches": The insects have adapted genetically to their control methods and will overwhelm the Baleares this summer, it was reported. The background to this is the climate development: warmer days, warmer nights, more cockroaches.
Quoted on this was Jorge Galván, the head of the Spanish Pest Control Association. He said, "On the one hand, the temperature rise due to climate change leads to a significantly accelerated life cycle of insects such as bed bugs or roaches. On the other hand, there are indications that cockroaches have undergone a series of random genetic mutations in recent years, making them resistant to the biocidal products used to control them."
More Tourism, More Waste
Cockroaches are also known as kitchen roaches and are highly adaptable. According to "Ultima Hora," all three common species are present on Mallorca: the German, the oriental, and the American cockroach, which can grow up to 4.4 centimeters long.
The different species can also survive at low temperatures, but develop and reproduce faster and more aggressively when it's warmer and wetter. According to "Ultima Hora," Mallorca's problem is the rising temperatures and prolonged heat, leading to growing cockroach populations.
Galván also explained to the Spanish newspaper "Ideal" that the cockroaches are attracted to the humidity prevalent in coastal and island regions: "In these areas, there is also more tourism and overcrowding, which means there is more waste and it is more difficult to maintain good hygiene conditions."
Pest Control Experts Prepared
According to the German Federal Environment Agency, cockroaches do not transmit diseases. They carry bacteria and can trigger allergies and asthma. The agency states further that a cockroach infestation can cause "great disgust" for many affected individuals.
This disgust towards cockroaches may be the reason for the media attention they and their chief exterminator Galván are currently receiving. At least Galván's lobby group has sharply criticized the "Daily Mirror." The British newspaper picked up on Galván's statements and warned British tourists about "genetically altered Super Cockroaches."
According to the Spanish newspaper "La Vanguardia," Galván described the British report as "disproportionate" and "alarmist." In his assessment, Germans, Brits, and all the concerned parties can go on their summer vacations in the south with full confidence: Galván confirmed that the mosquitoes had adapted to the climate, but he also assured that Spanish pest control companies were "well-equipped for any situation in this regard."
- The increase in cockroach populations in Mallorca, as reported by "Ultima Hora," can be attributed to Spain's climate change, resulting in warmer days and nights, which are favorable conditions for these pests.
- The Spanish Pest Control Association, led by Jorge Galván, has acknowledged the genetic adaptation of cockroaches in Mallorca, making them resistant to common insecticides, due in part to the effects of climate change and increased tourism-related waste.
- Despite the alarmist headlines in some British newspapers about "genetically altered Super Cockroaches" in Mallorca, Galván asserts that Spanish pest control companies are prepared and well-equipped to handle any cockroach-related issues that may arise due to climate change and increasing populations.
