Are they dangerous?

There is only one dangerous invertebrate on Svalbard, the worm Echinococcus mulitilocularis found associated with the foxes and voles around the deserted Russian mine at Grumont. Infection with this parasite can lead to a serious and fatal disease. However, this parasite is found over wide areas of Europe and North America and while personal hygiene when visiting Grumont must be observed, there is only a very small likelihood of becoming infected.

Of a bigger nuisance are the mosquitoes. There is one species of mosquito on Svalbard, Aedes nigripes. This species has a broad distribution around the Arctic including Greenland and northern Canada. On Svalbard it is found in particularly high densities at Kapp Thordsen, Brucebyen and even up Adventdalen. While it is rare in Ny-Ålesund it can become a problem on Blomstrandhalvøya. It is not thought that the mosquito on Svalbard spreads human diseases.