The Ayuntamiento de Torrevieja has installed 20 artificial nests for the common house martin at the Hospital Universitario de Torrevieja as part of a wider push to strengthen natural mosquito control and promote urban biodiversity.
The initiative, announced by Councillor for Pest Control Diana Box Alonso, was carried out during February through a collaboration agreement between the hospital and the council. It forms part of Torrevieja’s Biodiversity Promotion Plan, being implemented locally by CTL under the city’s Urban Pest Control Service contract.
The nests have been fitted to the exterior façade of the hospital overlooking the Laguna de Torrevieja, an area where house martin colonies were identified last year. The aim is to reinforce those colonies and encourage the birds’ settlement and breeding in a suitable environment.
The common house martin is a protected migratory bird with high ecological value, playing a key role in the biological control of insects—particularly mosquitoes. Its presence is especially beneficial in hospital surroundings, where mosquitoes can act as disease vectors.
Installing artificial nests supports the conservation of this migratory species while enhancing biodiversity in urban spaces. House martins travel roughly 10,000 kilometres on their annual migrations and reliably return to their breeding grounds between March and September—coinciding with peak mosquito activity—thereby strengthening natural population control.
The Pest Control Department stressed that projects like this underline the municipality’s commitment to sustainable, environmentally responsible solutions, integrating biodiversity protection as a complementary tool in Torrevieja’s urban pest management and prevention strategy.
