Southeast councils work to control surging mosquito populations

Recent rains have turned southeast Queensland into the ideal breeding ground for bloodsucking swarms of mosquitoes, with the state’s three biggest councils doubling down on efforts to keep them under control as fears of virus outbreaks escalate.

COUNCILS across southeast Queensland are gearing up for an air-and-land assault against bloodsucking mosquitoes, with fears a sudden increase in their population could cause outbreaks of the Ross River virus.

Recent heavy rains have created the perfect environment for mosquitoes to lay eggs, especially in marshlands around southeast Queensland.

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Residents are also being urged to take steps to destroy potential nesting sites in backyards and to wear pants and long-sleeved shirts to reduce the chance of bites.

The three biggest councils in Queensland — Brisbane City Council, the City of Gold Coast and Moreton Bay Regional Council — have revealed they’re taking to the skies in the fight against the pest, performing aerial sprays in areas particularly accommodating to mosquitoes.

Mosquitos can carry the Ross River virus. Picture: File.

“There are 2500 known mosquito breeding sites that we deal with,” Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schinner said.

“We’ve got all types of equipment helping us in this fight, we have helicopters, we have all-terrain vehicles, we have 4WDs so we’re out both on land and in the air treating mosquitoes so that we can keep Brisbane residents safe,” Cr Schinner said.

He said crews had been out spraying since August as part of a $5.2 million program, but recent rains had created ideal conditions for breeding.

Medical entomologist Dr Martin Shivas said mosquitoes could spread a variety of diseases, including Ross River virus, and urged residents to be vigilant.

A helicopter used by Brisbane City Council for spraying mosquito breeding sites. Picture: Glenn Barnes

“What they can do is wear long sleeves, long trousers and use insect repellents when mosquitoes are around,” Dr Shivas said.

“Ross River tends to peak in late-summer or autumn,” he said.

“The best advice is to try and avoid being bitten.”

The City of Gold Coast told The Courier-Mail it was committing extra resources in the battle to control populations following a number of complaints.

“The recent rain has provided ideal conditions for mosquito breeding,” a spokeswoman said.

She urged homeowners to empty out any containers that can hold stagnant water in backyards, since they provided perfect conditions for mosquito breeding.

Moreton Bay acting mayor Mike Charlton said crews from their council were out seven days a week fighting to keep numbers under control.

“To date our treatments have proved as effective as possible, but mosquito numbers will increase and we will continue to monitor the situation,” Cr Charlton said.

“Although it’s not possible to eradicate mosquitoes entirely from our communities, council and residents can work together on keeping their numbers down.”