Diana Box Alonso, the Torrevieja City Council’s Councillor for Pest Control, says that 20 common house martins (Delichon urbicum) nest boxes have been put up at the Torrevieja University Hospital this month of February. This is because the hospital and the City Council signed a cooperation agreement.
As part of the Urban Pest Control Service contract, the business CTL is carrying out this action as part of the Plan for the Promotion of Biodiversity in Torrevieja.
The 20 nest boxes have been put on the outside of the hospital building that is next to the Torrevieja Lagoon. The goal is to strengthen the colonies of common swifts that were found there last year, making it easier for them to settle down and have babies in a favourable spot.
The common swift is a protected species and a migratory passerine bird that is essential for the environment because it helps keep insects, especially mosquitoes, under control. In places like hospitals, where these bugs might spread disease, having them around is especially helpful.
Putting up fake nests helps protect this migratory species and increases the number of different species in cities. It’s interesting to note that the common swift migrates about 10,000 kilometres each year and always goes back to its breeding grounds between March and September, which is when the mosquito population is at its highest. This helps keep the numbers of mosquitoes in check.
The Department of Pest Control says that these kinds of projects show that the city is committed to long-term, eco-friendly solutions. They also use biodiversity protection as a strategy to help control and stop urban pests in Torrevieja.
