The Vedan Foundation promotes educational events to reduce Forcipomyia taiwana

Reduce Forcipomyia taiwana

When people travel to the tourist attractions in suburbs, in the woods or in the orchard, they often will get bug bites from a kind of black and small bug. This bug likes to attack people’s wrists and ankles. Once you get bitten by the bug, the bug bite becomes very itchy, red, and swollen. The bug causes a lot of troubles in people’s daily life and when people are traveling. The black and small bug is the Forcipomyia taiwana. In Taiwanese, it is called “hei-wei-zi” or “wu-wei-zi”. Some people also call it “xiao-jin-gang.” People often think that Forcipomyia taiwana is a kind of mosquito, but it actually is not. It is a public health insect in the species of Lasioheles, genus of Forcipomyia, family of Ceratopogonidae, order of Diptera, class of Insecta in the phylum of Arthropoda. The Forcipomyia taiwana has expanded its habitat to all areas in Taiwan from Central and Eastern Taiwan.

To effectively protect against Forcipomyia taiwana in Taiwan, the Vedan Foundation has been cooperating with experts in the National Chung Hsing University, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology and National Chiayi University. Together we established the first Forcipomyia Taiwana Demonstration Area Of 30 hectares in Minzheng Village, Dakeng, Taichung City with the academic-industry program. Moreover, we perform genetic research on Forcipomyia taiwana in the Fengjia Demonstration Community and Moncoeur in Taichung. The Forcipomyia taiwana is trapped by chemical, physical, biological and environmental segregation methods. Therefore, we effectively prevent the hazard of Forcipomyia taiwana. In order to let the public learn more about the annoying Forcipomyia taiwana and learn the best and most effective protection method, the Vedan Foundation invited Associate Professor Lin Cun-Fu to share his research results on Forcipomyia taiwana. A series of comprehensive information on the introduction and prevention of Forcipomyia taiwana was gathered and shared on Vedan’s website last September. On the website, you will find 6 main topics:

1. Use of personal protection to prevent against the adult female insect.



 

2. Use of a screen window at home for prevention.



 

3. Cleaning of the larva’s habitat and cutting off of its food.

4. Use of chemical prevention methods to reduce the density of Forcipomyia taiwana rapidly.



 

5. Education propaganda

6. Research on the innovative prevention method