Get the bug spray out...the mosquitoes are on their way

Experts have warned the wet warm summer has created perfect breeding conditions for a range of bug life and climate change could lead to the south becoming overrun with new species, bringing disease risks such as malaria.

Paul Pearce-Kelly, the Zoological Society of London's senior curator of invertebrates, said: "When we get high amounts of rainfall closely followed by warm weather, then conditions are absolutely perfect for mosquitoes.

"Numbers of these insects can build up significantly in a short period. Over a long, wet and warm summer, such as we are experiencing now, conditions are very conducive to a population explosion."

The zoological society is carrying out a long-term study of mosquitoes found in the capital and believes insect populations in the capital could change radically over the coming years.

"We already see over 33 different types of mosquito in London, but we don't have a clear idea of numbers-We hope our study will give us an insight into how many types of mosquito there are, and also how long they are spending here," Mr Pearce-Kelly said.

As winters become milder, scientists believe many species, including insects, could breed and live year round in Britain, bringing new disease threats.

"There are obviously human diseases to worry about, but also a lot of animal-to-animal diseases that we don't yet know about," Mr Pearce-Kelly said. "There is a risk from a range of insects."

One of the areas most at risk is Mogden, south-west London. Hounslow council this week sent leaflets to all residents within two kilometres of the Mogden sewage treatment works, which in recent years has been the centre of London's mosquito problems. "We are monitoring the situation around the works very closely, and carry out a fortnightly audit of the area to make sure there are no big rises," a council spokeswoman said.

The leaflet warns residents of the risk of letting water stagnate in gardens and drains. It advises people to cover garden furniture when not in use, and to regularly clear gutters and bird baths to eliminate breeding sites.

The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine is also monitoring mosquito levels in Mogden.

"Some people in Barking sleep under mosquito nets because there can be so many," says Chris Curtis, a professor of medical entomology at the school.

"If we continue to experience warmer temperatures in decades to come, that will favour the conditions that malaria parasites need to breed," he said.

About 2,000 travellers return to Britain each year with malaria contracted in areas where it is endemic, including Africa, Central and South America and South-East Asia. Worldwide, malaria kills three million people a year. Transmitted by the female anopheles mosquito, malaria thrives when the insects have warm temperatures and still water for breeding. The preventable disease has not been common in Britain since the late 1880s - before that, it was endemic in parts of Kent and Essex.