Schellebelle Wins Battle Against Midges After Years of Nuisance
The midge plague that plagued the Belgian town of Schellebelle for years appears to be largely under control. The municipality of Wichelen, of which Schellebelle is a sub-municipality, reports that nuisance has dramatically decreased thanks to a combination of targeted measures and a growing swallow population. This year, the local government received just one complaint about the biting insects, according to VRT NWS.
A Crisis That Spanned Years
At the height of the problem in 2018, the situation was so severe that a municipal disaster plan was declared in Wichelen. Residents living along the Schelde river were suffering from relentless bites from knijten—tiny biting midges, only 1 to 2 millimeters in size, whose bites cause intense itching and, for some, allergic reactions. The persistent drought that summer had exposed vast areas of dry silt in the Kalkense Meersen nature area, creating the ideal breeding ground for the insects, as VRT NWS reported at the time.
“The situation is truly unbearable for the neighbors,” Mayor Kenneth Taylor (Samen) said in 2018, explaining the decision to activate the disaster plan. Civil Protection was called in to pump extra water into the area to flush out midge eggs and larvae.
A Multi-Pronged Approach
Since then, De Vlaamse Waterweg (the Flemish waterway authority) and the Agency for Nature and Forest implemented a series of measures to tackle the problem. Midge traps were installed, reeds were planted, breaches were made in the old Schelde dike to improve drainage, and a trench was dug to prevent stagnant water where midges reproduce. The Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences developed specialized traps using UV light and biodegradable soap to selectively catch midges without harming other insects.
In 2020, the municipality even experimented with distributing free hemp plants to residents, as the smell was believed to disorient the midges. The plants, which contained very low THC levels, were legally cultivated and distributed as a natural repellent, as CNNBS reported.
By 2022, residents living near the Schelde received midge traps for their gardens, with research ongoing with the University of Antwerp on optimal trap placement, according to VRT NWS.
An Unexpected Ally: The Swallow
A key factor in the success story has been nature itself. Schellebelle now hosts one of the largest swallow populations in Flanders, and swallows are natural predators of midges.
“At the beginning of our midge problem, there were actually no natural enemies of the midges,” Mayor Taylor explained. “Now we see that those swallows are massively fighting the midges. As a result, combined with the reeds and other measures, the midge population has been greatly reduced.”
“There is actually little silt left where the midge can thrive,” he added. “This ensures that there are still midges, but never in the numbers we knew a few years ago.”
A Learning Example for Flanders
The Schellebelle case has become a model for other regions dealing with similar midge problems. The issue is not unique to this area—new flood control areas created under the Sigmaplan program have experienced temporary midge surges as newly created wetlands find their ecological balance. According to the Sigmaplan, midge numbers naturally decrease as creeks form, vegetation grows, and natural predators establish themselves in new nature areas.
“The Agency for Nature and Forest and De Vlaamse Waterweg have learned a lot from the Schellebelle case,” Taylor said. “It has taken time to get it under control, but we see today that it is livable.”
The De Vlaamse Waterweg continues to monitor midge populations through an extensive research program with the University of Antwerp, the Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (KBIN).
What’s Next
While the battle appears won, officials remain realistic. “There will of course always be midges living along the Schelde and in the area,” Taylor acknowledged. “But the nuisance we had a few years ago has disappeared.”
As other flood control projects across Flanders continue to develop, the lessons learned in Schellebelle will inform how new wetland areas are designed and managed to minimize the risk of future midge outbreaks. The combination of engineering solutions and natural biological controls has proven that even the most persistent environmental nuisances can be overcome with patience and a comprehensive approach.