Public Health

Mosquito Management

Mosquitos pose a genuine health risk to our local community and can cause serious illness and long-term health impacts.

Residents can also take the following simple steps to reduce the risk of being bitten:

Dispose of all tins, jars, tyres, and other water holding receptacles in your yard
Once a week, empty all water holding containers such as flower vases, pot plant bases, buckets, bird baths, pet drinking bowls and other water holding containers
Screen all openings to water tanks and other large water containers with wire gauze not coarser than 1mm aperture mesh
Keep fish ponds stocked with smaller native fish that can eat mosquito larvae
Fill all water holding depressions and holes in the yard with soil. Holes in trees should also be filled
Ensure roof gutters are clean and free of leaf litter so they drain freely with no low points where water can accumulate
Fill pot plant bases with sand to absorb water, with outdoor plants discard the bases altogether
Keep swimming pools clean and chlorinated
Ensure all drains are free-flowing and clear of weeds
Inspect your house, yard, workplace, school and neighbourhood for mosquito breeding sites

For Personal Protection:

Repellents are very effective against mosquitoes and should be used when engaged in outdoor activities, particularly the early morning and late afternoon or evening periods when mosquitoes are most active. There are several different active ingredients used in personal repellents, the most common being DEET and Picaridin. Choosing a repellent that suits you is the key. Some people who are sensitive to repellents find that a mixture of equal parts Dettol and an oil such as baby oil, tea-tree oil or lavender oil is useful. When gardening, wear loose-fitting long-sleeved shirts and long pants in a light colour – mosquitoes are attracted to dark colours.
The use of mosquito coils is also effective as the smoke and insecticide in burning coils interferes with the insect’s senses. Coils should be placed upwind of where you are sitting or working.
Screening windows and doors in your house will greatly reduce the number of mosquitoes encountered inside, and ceiling fans will also help by keeping the air inside circulating.
Mosquitoes are attracted to any increase in humidity around us. This may be caused by perspiration or by activities such as watering gardens and washing cars. Try to avoid these activities early or late in the day. Mosquitoes are further attracted to carbon dioxide (in our breath) and hone in on this to source blood meals.

For more information on ways to protect your family, click here.

For more information on dealing with mosquitos around the home, click here.