With late wet season rainfall soaking the region, mosquito numbers are set to be on the rise across Townsville.
Townsville City Council is urging the community to be mosquito aware and take precautions against mosquitos, as hatchings occur more regularly during the wet season rains.
Community Health, Safety and Environmental Sustainability chairperson Maurie Soars said although Council’s mosquito treatment program was ongoing year-round, there was plenty residents could do around their homes to help.
“It’s common for Townsville to see an increase in mosquito numbers, particularly after a decent rainfall, which is why our dedicated crews are out and about monitoring and treating known breeding sites daily,” Cr Soars said.
“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 to residents to do some mosquito prevention in their own backyards.
“This includes using repellents, wearing long loose clothing and emptying pooled water in the yard.”
Cr Soars said Council’s mosquito treatments targeted mosquitos in the larval stage of their lifecycle, which 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 mosquitos 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 mosquitos carry a variety of tropical diseases, so it’s really important we work together as a community to reduce the number of adult mosquitos in the area.”
