Last week, several residents of Riehen, in Basel-Stadt, were visited by some men wearing vests bearing the words ‘Commune de Riehen’. They said they had to inspect the house to check for breeding sites of the tiger mosquito. The problem is that they weren’t from the Commune, nor from any public authority.
The authorities in Riehen confirmed this this week following several reports: there are people posing as environmental officers in an attempt to gain access to private homes. The twist in the tale is that there is indeed an official campaign by the Basel-Stadt Cantonal Laboratory to monitor the tiger mosquito in certain homes in the region, which makes the pretext perfectly credible. Someone knew this and decided to take advantage of it.
If someone knocks on your door, here’s what you need to know: genuine inspectors wear light green T-shirts bearing the logo ‘Laboratoire cantonal de Bâle-Ville’ and an image of a tiger mosquito. They can identify themselves. The campaign is not compulsory; it is an awareness-raising initiative targeting selected households, not a general door-to-door visit. Most importantly: if someone insists on coming in and you have any doubts, do not open the door. Call 117.
The tiger mosquito has been spreading northwards from Ticino for years; it transmits dengue, chikungunya and Zika, and the authorities recommend getting rid of any standing water in the garden. That’s what you need to do at home. But don’t open the door to anyone who says they’ve come to check.