Bristol Tackles Summer Pests Differently Than Neighboring Cities

Bristol City Council began handing out catnip-based repellents at three sites on July 9 to address rising mosquito activity in public spaces.

The move follows a global study released this week confirming catnip lotion matches Deet in effectiveness, with temperatures in western England already averaging 2 degrees above the 1990-2020 baseline. Local leaders chose this route after reviewing how other cities managed similar outbreaks last summer.

Distribution started at Castle Park near the old city walls and at the Watershed on the Harbourside, where staff from the Bristol Parks Service set up tables alongside volunteers from the Stokes Croft Community Association. The University of Bristol's environmental research unit supplied the initial 1,200 bottles.

Local rollout and numbers

Each bottle costs £4.50 and covers roughly 20 applications. Council records show 87 complaints about bites in June alone, up from 52 the year before. The target is a 25 percent reduction in reports by the end of August through daily checks at those two sites plus a third location at Eastville Park.

Paris relied on drone spraying of synthetic chemicals across the Seine riverbanks in the same period, while New York expanded its truck-based adulticide program along the Hudson. Bristol avoided both approaches after residents in Clifton and Redfield raised concerns about residue on playground equipment.

Next steps for residents

Supplies will remain available at the three locations through the end of the month, with extra stock ordered for the August bank holiday weekend. People can also collect a free information sheet listing application times and nearby collection points by visiting the council's website or calling the parks hotline.