The City Council installs 20 common swift nest boxes at the University Hospital to reinforce natural mosquito control

The Councillor for Pest Control of the Torrevieja City Council, Diana Box Alonso, reports that, throughout the current month of February, a total of 20 common house martin (Delichon urbicum) nest boxes have been installed at the Torrevieja University Hospital, thanks to the collaboration agreement signed between the hospital and the City Council.

This action is part of the Plan for the Promotion of Biodiversity in Torrevieja that the company CTL is implementing in the municipality within the framework of the Urban Pest Control Service contract.

The 20 nest boxes have been placed on the exterior facade of the hospital building that borders the Torrevieja Lagoon, with the aim of reinforcing the common swift colonies detected last year in this location, thus favoring their settlement and reproduction in an ideal environment.

The common swift is a protected species, a migratory passerine bird of great ecological value, as it plays a fundamental role in the biological control of insects, especially mosquitoes. Its presence is particularly beneficial in environments such as hospitals, given that these insects can act as vectors of disease.

The installation of artificial nests contributes to the conservation of this migratory species and promotes biodiversity in urban areas. It's worth noting that the common swift travels approximately 10,000 kilometers each year during its migratory journeys and faithfully returns to its breeding grounds between March and September, a period that coincides with the peak mosquito population, thus reinforcing the natural control of these numbers.

The Department of Pest Control emphasizes that these types of initiatives demonstrate the municipal commitment to sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions, integrating biodiversity protection as a complementary tool in the management and prevention of urban pests in Torrevieja.