Mosquito numbers on the rise

Mosquito numbers are on the rise following the rain and high tides over the past few months.

Townsville City Council is encouraging residents to take precautions against the saltmarsh mosquito with hatchings occurring more regularly.

Community Health, Safety and Environmental Sustainability chairperson Maurie Soars said that although Council’s mosquito treatment program is ongoing, there is plenty residents can do around their homes to help.

“It’s common for Townsville to see an increase in mosquito numbers at this time of the year, and our dedicated crews are out and about monitoring and treating known breeding sites daily,” Cr Soars said.

“Our mosquito management team has treated over 2730 hectares of known breeding sites.

“However, our staff are only able to treat breeding sites on public land and aren’t able to enter private property so we’re looking for residents to do some mosquito prevention in their backyards.

“This includes using repellents, wearing long loose clothing, emptying pooled water in the yard and burning mosquito coils.”

Cr Soars said Council’s mosquito treatments target mosquitoes in the larval or immature stage of their lifecycle and is best practice in managing the insect.

“Our current treatment program is leading the way in mosquito management in North Queensland and aims to minimise the number of adult mosquitoes dispersed in the region,” he said.

“Once the saltmarsh mosquito – which is the most common type in Townsville – hatches it can travel up to 15 kilometres from the breeding site or further if the conditions are right.

“We know that mosquitoes carry a variety of tropical diseases, so it’s really important that we work together as a community to reduce the number of adult mosquitoes in the area.”

More information on the saltmarsh mosquito, and tips for controlling mosquitoes around your home, visit our Mosquitoes web page.