Authorities in a Tuscan town have urged residents to shut down their windows and not hang out washing as they tackle a plague of midges that has been tormenting locals and tourists for weeks.
Business has been badly hit as customers avoid going out for dinner, according to restaurants and bar owners in Orbetello, well known for its lagoon and long stretches of sandy beach overlooked by Monte Argentario.
The owner of Caff sul Corso di Luigi Drogo told Corriere della Sera that we are forced to close two hours early. This is our 2022 season. Some establishments have switched off the outside lights and are only taking dinner bookings until 9 pm, but it hasn't done much to boost trade.
Takings are down by 60% despite these measures, said Marco Di Pietro, owner of Ovosodo restaurant, while describing the psychological horror inflicted by the midges on outdoor diners. Thousands of midges gather around the light bulbs and move like a disturbing wave between the outdoor tables, he told Corriere.
According to a visitor from Rome, Orbetello had been completely overrun by the insects. It has been almost a month since it was impossible to walk along the lagoon. It has become impossible to dine or have an aperitif outside. The situation reached such an extreme yesterday that many shops and restaurants were forced to close at around 9 pm. Mauro Lenzi, a biologist, said last month that the pest is linked to the conditions of the lagoon because of high temperatures that have reduced the presence of the midges natural predators, such as frogs, bats and various birds.
The city has been fumigated for the fourth time in several weeks and authorities said they would begin pest control procedures overnight on Wednesday.
Residents complained that a deep disinfestation, which usually takes place in the spring, was skipped this year.
The nearby Castiglione della Pescaia has been hit by swarms of wasps this summer, according to Corriere.
Leonardo Marras, a councillor in Tuscany, said today it is difficult to find a solution to a problem that should have been dealt with earlier. We are here for any citizens who express concern or whose season has been ruined by these insects.