In the small Italian town of Orbetello, residents are calling for a state of emergency to be declared in order to accelerate efforts to combat a massive gnat infestation.
According to AP, local fishermen report that the invasion began about three weeks ago. They attribute it to the mass die-off of fish larvae, which previously fed on gnat larvae. The authorities in Orbetello have already allocated €300,000 and promised to implement urgent measures to address the problem.
However, residents believe these actions are insufficient and are demanding an official state of emergency, which would allow for the release of additional resources. A petition on Change.org titled “Save the Orbetello Lagoon” has already gathered more than 19,000 signatures.
In the fall of 2023, panic spread across France following reports of a supposed mass bedbug infestation, with sightings in schools, trains, hospitals, and cinemas.
Experts note that bedbug infestations have been steadily increasing worldwide in recent years, largely due to climate change, rising tourism, and the ban on certain insecticides previously used to eradicate them.
