Mosquito Control
Some mosquitoes in and around your house can cause diseases such as Ross River Virus, Barmah Forest Virus and possibly Dengue Fever. It is the property owners’ responsibility to prevent mosquitoes from breeding on their property.
Reduce your property risk
The best way to ensure mosquitoes do not breed in your backyard is:
- Tip it – tip water from containers and objects
- Store it – store items away when not in use
- Throw it – throw away items you no longer use
Check the following five breeding hotspots weekly:
- Ponding water
Pools of still and shallow water attract mosquitoes wishing to breed. Fill them with soil or sand and plant over with grass or plants. Other areas where water can pool include bird baths, wading pools, boats and dinghies, flower vases, unstocked fish ponds and water holding plants (e.g. bromeliaeds and staghorns). Check these regularly to ensure water is not pooling or mosquitoes are not breeding.
- Pot plant bases
The shallow warmed water in pot plant bases is ideal for breeding – a pot plant base can support up to 150 mosquito larvae. Place sand in bases if possible to absorb extra moisture or empty bases regularly, wiping out to remove mosquito eggs.
- Blocked roof guttering
Clogged or unmaintained guttering prevents rainwater escaping. Keep tree branches away from gutters and check gutters for leaves and obstructions regularly.
- Tyres
Disused tyres can hold water and provide an ideal warm site for breeding. Dispose of old tyres appropriately or store undercover. Drill holes in tyres used as children’s swings to allow water to drain.
- Collections of rubbish
Collections of rubbish can hold small pools of water that mosquitoes can breed in. Dispose of all rubbish either in your refuse bin or visit one of council’s Refuse and Recycle Centres. Store items you are keeping undercover and ensure drums and containers capable of holding water are kept upside down.
For more information about how to control mosquitos, download the factsheet.