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Every year, as summer approaches, you find yourself dreaming: a garden table, friends, a few bottles of wine, and hours spent putting the world to rights while the sun lingers. This dream is certainly attainable, and often comes at the price of a few mosquito bites. But one country in Europe guarantees you won’t encounter these unwelcome neighbours. That country is Iceland, the island where there simply are no mosquitoes!
Why are there no mosquitoes in Iceland?
Ah, that’s a difficult question, as there doesn’t seem to be a consensus on the answer. Clearly, although geographically isolated from the rest of the continent, Iceland is a country that attracts many travellers, but also goods. Logically, mosquitoes shouldn’t have much trouble making the journey.
The problem likely lies in the pest’s reproductive cycle (let’s say that’s the most plausible hypothesis). The country has no shortage of shallow ponds, favourite playgrounds (and breeding grounds) for mosquitoes. However, the seasonal cycle in Iceland is thought to be too rapid for them to reach maturity; the cold follows the short warm season too quickly.
🌋 Up close to the danger. Looking for thrills? Here’s a list of the most active volcanoes in Iceland and how to approach them safely.
“When mosquitoes lay eggs in cold weather, the larvae hatch with the thaw, allowing them to reproduce and multiply. However, Iceland typically experiences three major freeze-thaw cycles per year, creating conditions that may be too unstable for the insect’s survival,” notes The New York Times, which interviewed an Icelandic biologist on the subject in a 2016 article. This biologist also states that with climate change, it is not impossible that Iceland could see its first mosquitoes in the near future.
Actually, there is a mosquito in Iceland. It’s preserved in a jar of alcohol at the Icelandic Institute of Natural History. So you can sleep soundly!