U.S. companies have begun releasing hundreds of thousands of mosquitoes in Montreal, Quebec, as part of a biological control effort aimed at suppressing populations of the invasive Asian tiger mosquito. The releases are intended to lower the risk of dengue, chikungunya and Zika viruses that the tiger mosquito transmits.
The program involves the mass release of male mosquitoes that are bred to compete with wild tiger mosquitoes for mates. By flooding the environment with these laboratory‑reared insects, the companies hope to reduce the number of disease‑carrying females that survive each breeding cycle. The releases are being carried out under the oversight of researchers from the Institute of Plant Biology Research at the University of Montreal.
Étienne Normandin, a scientist affiliated with the Institute, confirmed that the strategy is being tested in the city to evaluate its effectiveness against the Asian tiger mosquito, which has become a common nuisance and public‑health concern across the region. Normandin emphasized that the approach targets only the specific mosquito species and does not involve chemical insecticides.
American firms are conducting the trial as part of a broader effort to develop environmentally based methods for controlling the tiger mosquito, which has spread from its native range in Asia to many parts of North America. The companies see the large‑scale release as a potential tool to curb the transmission of the three viral diseases linked to the mosquito. The initiative reflects ongoing research into sustainable pest‑management techniques that rely on biological interference rather than traditional spraying programs.