Ibiza invaded by Asian tiger mosquitoes while pools stay untreated

Ibiza has been plagued with an invasion of Asian tiger mosquitoes — four times bigger than normal — as swimming pools in the vacation hotspot are left untreated during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new report.

The critters — which carry diseases like Zika virus, West Nile virus and dengue fever — have likely thrived since the closure of hotels and holiday villas on the Spanish island, The Sun reported.

The bugs, which prefer moist air, have been attracted to the swimming pools left untended due to the lack of tourists, according to the report.

The mosquitoes take 10 to 12 days to hatch — and when they do, they tend to emerge during the day, when humans are out and about, not just dawn and dusk, The Sun reported.

They are able to bite through clothing, according to the report.

All tourism has been prohibited in Ibiza during the coronavirus outbreak, leaving the usual tourist hotspots deserted.

Now, the department for environmental management in Ibiza’s council has warned residents to keep their pools purified, warning that not doing so could create a “real public health problem,” The Sun reported.

Meanwhile, Ibiza is beginning to soften its lockdown, the outlet reported.

“We have been able to advance quickly because we have moved forward with things done well,” said Francina Armegol, head of the Balearic government. “And we have to carry on doing this responsibly.”

Spain, one of the countries most heavily hit by the pandemic, will allow tourism to resume in July, according to the report.

“Foreign tourists can start planning their holidays,” Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said over the weekend. “We guarantee that tourists will not be at risk and that they will not put us at risk.”

“Health and business are not opposing factors,” he added. “Spanish tourism will now have two new trademarks: ecological sustainability and health protection.”

A total of 235,772 coronavirus cases and 28,752 deaths have been reported in Spain, Johns Hopkins University statistics show.

News of the tiger mosquitoes comes weeks after it emerged that “murder hornets” from Asia measuring up to two inches long had been found for the first time in the US.

But insect experts have said those insects pose a much greater threat to honeybees than humans.