Pest control in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin

Built environment and local building types

The commune juxtaposes three distinct areas: a headland wooded with pines and olive trees, dotted with villas in large gardens; a perched medieval village of tightly interlocking stone houses; and a seafront of residences from the 1960s to the 1980s. The coastal footpath runs past wooded properties where pine stands and hedges often touch the rooftops. Between the old lofts of the village, the outbuildings of the villas and the roof terraces of the seafront, building types vary greatly over a few kilometres, as do the associated pest problems.

Seasonal pressures and sentinel species in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin

The pine processionary caterpillar (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) is widespread in the headland's pine woods, its winter nests giving rise to urticating processions from February to April that are dangerous for domestic animals. The edible dormouse (Glis glis) heads from September into the lofts and false ceilings of villas under woodland cover to see out the colder months. The Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) sets up its secondary nests in tall pines and dense foliage, with peak activity in late summer. The tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) proliferates from May to November in irrigated gardens, where ornamental ponds and forgotten containers serve as larval breeding sites.