Rentokil Initial and Debug Partner To Scale Advanced Mosquito Vector Control Across Europe

16 Oct 2026

• Rentokil Initial, a leader in Pest Control, and Debug, a Google Initiative, partner to suppress urban mosquito populations by promoting an Integrated Mosquito Management approach, including an innovative biological tool to reduce population fertility, the Incompatible Insect Technique (IIT).
• First time this biological control strategy has been implemented in Europe at scale.
• Over 1.5m male Asian tiger mosquitoes, reared by Debug, released to induce sterility in the female mosquito population, in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Barcelona, utilising ENEA's* strain of naturally occurring and harmless Wolbachia bacteria.
• The first European field trials were conducted in Rome and the exploitation of this strain showed a reduction of up to 88% of viable Asian tiger mosquito eggs.

The risk of mosquito-borne disease in Europe is rising.

Changing weather patterns, especially in warmer regions, have lengthened and intensified the mosquito season across the continent. Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, which can transmit both dengue and chikungunya, continues to expand its range as temperatures climb.

Now, vector-borne diseases that once entered the continent exclusively through international travel are establishing local transmission networks within European borders. Locally originating dengue transmission has recently occurred in France, Italy, and Spain, among others. This summer, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control called for improved preparedness and upgraded control tools to meet this challenge.

A Strategic European Alliance

To address this growing risk, Rentokil, a global leader in commercial pest and vector control, and Debug, a Google initiative, have established a partnership designed to bring precision vector management to the European market. By adding Debug's proprietary mosquito suppression solutions directly into Rentokil's established vector control networks, the collaboration creates a first-of-its-kind blueprint for scalable biological management that can be adapted and tested to different countries across the region, building on the results obtained and the knowledge developed from the application of the technology by the Debug-ENEA collaboration in Rome over the past two years.

* Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA)

Debug and the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) coordinated their efforts for a two-year Incompatible Insect Technique trial at the ENEA Casaccia Research Centre in Rome (over a sub-urban 53ha area). This exploited an ENEA line of the Asian tiger mosquito suited for the European context that naturally produces incompatible males and has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing egg abundance and fertility under open field conditions (ARwP line). Results from the 2025 season showed a reduction of up to 88% in fertile overwintering egg production compared to control areas, demonstrating the platform's strong suppression potential.

The new partnership combines Rentokil's extensive local infrastructure, deep expertise in mosquito control and strong field execution capabilities, with Debug's automated rearing, AI-driven mosquito
sex-sorting, and scientific expertise. Together, the companies are building an integrated model to expand precision vector management across high-risk European territories.

Mosquito males can be safely released because they do not bite humans but when they harbour a Wolbachia infection, that is different from that of the wild females, their mating with wild females results in the failure of the eggs hatching, progressively reducing local mosquito populations. These males are defined as “incompatible males” and do not require any treatment before their release as sterilising males in the field.

First Operational Deployments in Europe

To validate this operational framework, the alliance has launched a pilot deployment in Spain. In collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Barcelona (ASPB), weekly releases of male mosquitoes were conducted in specifically selected urban green areas during the summer.

Over 1.5 million male Asian tiger mosquitoes, harbouring the Wolbachia infection, were strategically introduced into the environment (c.80,000 per week) with the sole mission of inducing sterility in wild females, thereby suppressing the local mosquito population. This is the first time this innovative biological control strategy has been implemented in Europe at scale in an urban area.

Operational Framework and Efficacy

Under the joint operating model, Debug rears the ARwP line from ENEA to produce male-only shipments to be delivered to Barcelona. ASPB and Rentokil share responsibility for import logistics, field releases, and entomological surveillance through an extensive trap-based monitoring network, combining public health leadership, operational expertise, and innovative mosquito suppression technology to ensure the effective implementation and evaluation of the programme. A key enabling factor has been ASPB's successful coordination and achievement of the necessary local, regional, and national authorisations, providing the regulatory framework required for the safe deployment of this novel vector control intervention.

By layering Wolbachia male releases into existing commercial pest management operations, the alliance helps local municipalities build stronger vector control responses. Indeed, close partnerships with local municipalities are critical to the programme's long-term success. As public health authorities seek alternatives to traditional methods, the Rentokil and Debug alliance offers a scalable solution designed to meet growing regional demand for novel, effective vector management tools.

"To effectively combat the significant threats to public health posed by mosquito-borne diseases, you need a full suite of solutions,” said Dr Rubén Bueno Mari, Entomologist and Vector Control Lead for Europe at Rentokil. “Integrating the Wolbachia strategy into our current Vector Control toolbox allows us to tackle the mosquito life cycle from every angle. Our European Vector Control Centre of Excellence is committed to supporting customers with the introduction of the latest effective and sustainable mosquito control innovations as part of our integrated management programmes across the region."

“This is the first time Debug has partnered with a private vector control company," shared Linus Upson, Head of Debug. “The most effective mosquito control comes from an integrated approach that combines different techniques. By working with Rentokil—one of the premier mosquito control companies on the continent—Debug’s Wolbachia suppression approach can be integrated into Rentokil’s existing operations, allowing for rapid scaling. Together with Rentokil, we're validating a framework to meet the growing risk these invasive mosquitoes pose across Europe."

Ends

About Rentokil Initial plc: A global leader in Pest Control and Hygiene & Wellbeing services, with over 100 years of pest control expertise. It employs c.63,400 people in 90 countries. Rentokil's global presence enables the company to apply lessons learned from extensive mosquito control programmes worldwide. Delivering the programme in Europe is Rentokil Lokímica, a leader in integrated mosquito control management with over 45 years of experience delivering large-scale public health interventions. Contact: [email protected]

About Debug: Debug, a Google initiative to reduce mosquito-borne diseases, has spent over a decade developing end-to-end technologies to protect the 4 billion people at risk of dengue. Integrating software, hardware, AI, and scientific innovation, Debug delivers suppression and replacement solutions at scale. At its core is Wolbachia, a naturally occurring bacterium that stops mosquitoes from spreading disease. To find out more, please visit debug.com

About ENEA: ENEA is the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development. It is a government-backed research body focused on energy, environmental sustainability, and innovation. For this initiative, ENEA provided its proprietary laboratory strain of Aedes albopictus (line ARwP) characterised by the replacement of the native Wolbachia endosymbionts with a different strain of the bacterium that is quite common in nature because it is harboured by Culex pipiens. This laboratory line naturally produces males that are only fertile with ARwP females while inducing full sterility when crossed with wild Ae. albopictus females without the need for any treatment.

We express our sincere gratitude to ENEA for their vital collaboration and partnership in these trials.

About ASPB: The Public Health Agency of Barcelona (Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona — ASPB) is the public health provider responsible for health information monitoring, surveillance, and control (epidemiological, food safety, environmental, and urban pests) in the city of Barcelona, Spain. Co-funded by the Barcelona City Council and the Catalan Regional Government, the ASPB acts as the local health authority to design, implement, and evaluate health equity policies, drug addiction programs, and local laboratory services.

Media contact details:

Rentokil Initial Media: Malcolm Padley, Rentokil Initial plc +44 7788 978 199 [email protected]

Debug Media: [email protected]

ENEA: [email protected]