Is there anything more annoying than the buzzing or biting of mosquitoes and midges when you are enjoying the outdoors?
Mosquitoes
Recent rain coupled with warm weather can provide ideal breeding conditions for the saltmarsh (Aedes vigilax) and container (Aedes notoscriptus) mosquitoes.
Council’s mosquito management team investigates known mosquito breeding sites across Redlands Coast and conducts regular ground and aerial treatments as required.
Residents are encouraged to help reduce mosquito numbers by checking their own yards, especially after rain and during the peak breeding season from November to April.
Ensure yards are clean and tidy, remove excessive vegetation and regularly empty pooled water from pot plant bases, containers, fallen palm fronts, old tyres, blocked roof gutters and tarps.
To protect yourself from mosquitoes, residents are also urged to:
- avoid going outdoors during dawn and dusk unless covering up and using insect repellent
- maintain fly screens on windows and doors in your home
- treat fly screens with a UV stable insecticide
- use mosquito coils or plug-in insecticide burners
- contact your local pest technician for advice on barrier treatments and whether these are suitable for your home.
Midges
The number of biting midges is expected to increase over coming weeks following a wet winter.
Unfortunately, unlike mosquitoes, there are no midge-specific insecticides approved or safe for use in the Moreton Bay Marine Park where biting midges breed, as using such chemicals could harm other insects and marine creatures.
Council has a marine parks permit from the State Government that allows us to use certain chemicals in the marine park environment, like the ones we use for mosquitoes, but the permit does not allow for the use of chemicals that are effective on midges.
Thankfully, unlike mosquitoes, midges are not known to transmit any human diseases in Australia.
Council hasn’t given up the challenge of finding a better way to manage midges and is partnering with industry research bodies and other councils to keep up to date with the latest research and practices.
You can take measures to protect yourselves during the peak breeding season. This includes:
- wearing insect repellent and long, loose-fitting clothing if heading outdoors at dawn and dusk
- installing fine mesh fly screens where midges are making their way through into homes. Fly screens can also be treated with UV stable insecticide
- increasing air flow around your home
- keeping vegetation surrounding the house to a minimum to reduce insect-harbouring areas
- installing privately initiated barrier treatments from qualified pest controllers
For further information on mosquitoes and biting midges, visit Council’s website.
